Bonds
by RennaV
Summary: Neji X Tenten fic because I've gotten really into the couple again. Starts off about kinky bondage sex (hence the title) but goes into plot with OC children along with other Naruto kids and their...bonds (again, hence the title). Post-war & Neji lives. Other couples are canon & I'm ignoring anything that happens in Gaiden or the movies post-war. So there. COMPLETE.
1. Safe words Unneeded

**Safe Words Unneeded**

 **Author's Notes:** Post-war AU where Neji gets hit by the spears but _does not die_. Also written for pure well BDSM fun so if you do not like that sort of thing, skip this. Seriously. I am not playing around.

Don't own the characters just messing with them.

* * *

Tenten made sure her traps were all in place once Neji entered her bedroom. He hummed at her as she moved, white eyes tracking her movements and she could _feel_ his intense gaze. They hadn't been able to have time to themselves in _months._

Okay, so that wasn't entirely true. Sure they got to spend fifteen minutes alone on their mission last week but it had been rushed, their clothes had only made it off enough so Neji could get inside her, and they were forced to be quiet.

Never mind they had been in the middle of a surveillance mission and they should have been looking out but no harm done. Besides, Neji had his Byakugan activated the entire time so they were still doing the surveillance. Neji had also seen the moments before Kankuro joined them from setting his traps in the area. He had given them a strange look. It took Tenten a moment to realize Neji had a leaf in his hair. She'd pulled it out.

And sure they had spent the past few days in Konoha but everyone had been trying to talk with them every night and day. Tonight was the first night they were completely alone and could linger as long as they wanted.

Neji had come for dinner at five and they had eaten the herring soba she cooked with a side of steamed veggies, fried egg, and sesame dumplings. He had helped clean the dishes and here they were.

"No movie?" Neji questioned.

She turned to see he had a small grin on his face and one eyebrow up. His arms hung loosely at his sides and his entire posture was relaxed. Normally she would indulge his want to actually watch a movie with her but she was so not willing to wait any longer for this.

"Nope," Tenten said.

"Impatient,"

"Like you aren't,"

"Hn,"

This was his amused sound of agreement. She went to her bedside lamps and flicked both on before turning off the overhead light. The curtains were secured in the closed position and Neji's white eyes kind of glowed in the dimness.

He could still take in her pale yellow walls, her King sized bed with its burgundy sheet set, and the dark wood furniture: two night side tables, a long dresser with a mirror attached to it against one wall, and a tall dresser. She had one chair in the corner, burgundy in color and big enough for both of them to get into so long as they didn't mind being squished.

The myriad of decorative weapons she had on the walls of her room glittered in the low lights and she had closed the door on her messy wardrobe right before he could see it.

Her floors were light hardwood and she had covered them with a gold and burgundy area rug. The rug itself was comfortable enough to sleep on it was so thick and soft. They both knew from prior experiences.

"Well?" Tenten asked.

Neji hummed but lifted his arms. He carefully unbuttoned his shirt and it slipped off his shoulders as he pulled it down then off. He folded it neatly before placing it on an empty spot on her long dresser.

He waited.

Tenten smirked before pulling off her shirt. She tossed it towards her closet and it landed with a flutter. Neji chuckled. She unclasped her bra and it joined her shirt. Neji nodded before undoing the man-skirt, folding it neatly as well then placed it a top his shirt.

Tenten let her giant scroll hit the floor behind her before pushing it so it rolled towards the wall. It hit with a dull thud. Neji kept the smallest smile on his face before untying his pants and stepping out of them to reveal the gray _tight_ boxer shorts he wore. He picked up his pants and they too were folded before being added to the pile.

Tenten reciprocated and tossed her pants towards her wardrobe. Neji's boxer shorts were off a moment later, folded in half before being placed at the top of the pile of his clothes. He stood still, feet a little apart with his hands loose at his sides.

The muted light made shadows dance over his flesh, all the soft creamy pale skin Tenten had come to know well in many different ways. The light did show her he was all ready fully erect and swaths of light allowed her to see the glimmer of precum at his tip and leaking down his cock. And he called _her_ impatient.

She smirked at him but didn't take off her small white cotton panties. Neji didn't mind. He reached up and his hitai-ate came away from his forehead. He held it for a moment between his hands, the metal facing up but his eyes on her. He allowed it to drop out of his hands and beside his clothes with a little click of the metal hitting the wood.

With the hitai-ate gone, his thick, dark, shiny hair had been freed to fall forward. Tenten wanted to walk over to him and run her hands through his hair to tuck it behind his ears. She didn't. It would destroy the mood they were about to set.

"On the bed," Tenten said.

Neji inclined his head once and a small grin spread over his face. He strode across the room, moving gracefully with light fluttering over his form. His hair wavered around him softly and Tenten watched as Neji sat on the edge of the bed. He kept his back stiff and his eyes on her, white eyes bright even in the soft light.

Tenten crossed her arms under her bust and almost smirked when his eyes dipped towards her breasts before meeting her eyes again. Tenten thrust her right hip to a side and raised an eyebrow at him. He knew him sitting like that on the bed wasn't what she meant.

"Are you going to be disobedient tonight?" Tenten asked.

Neji shook his head before shifting backwards on the bed slowly, sensually. She smiled as he got to the middle of the bed then shifted until he was kneeling, straight up with the back of his thighs off his calves. His hands were still limp at his sides and he tilted his head to one side. Tenten nodded.

She walked over to the bed but didn't join him. Instead she bent slightly and pulled a box out from under the bed. The box was palm sized, locked with her chakra. She unlocked the box and spread a single scroll at the foot of the bed. She looked up to see Neji licking his lips.

His breathing had sped up slightly and a fine coating of sweat had begun to pop up over his forehead. His cock twitched eagerly and he had begun to shiver in anticipation. Hell, her hands were trembling. _This_ was what they hadn't been able to do in months.

Tenten bit her thumb and touched it to the first seal on the scroll. Black leather arm cuffs popped out and she smiled. Neji smirked. Tenten got on the bed beside him and placed the cuffs beside him. Neji let out a little breath as Tenten ran her fingers through his hair to gather it into a tail. She gently placed it over his right shoulder and he shivered.

"Arms," Tenten said.

Neji obediently moved his arms behind his back a few inches apart. Tenten grinned at him before grabbing the cuffs. They were leather and extended from his wrist to the middle of his forearm. Three buckles put them in place over his arms and she joined them to each other with three adjustable leather straps.

"Tight tonight?" Tenten questioned.

"Yes, please,"

"Yes, please, _who?_ "

She grinned when Neji turned his head enough to look at her over his shoulder. A smile came to his face and he nodded.

"Yes please, _Mistress,_ "

"That's better,"

Tenten pulled the adjustable strap tight so Neji's wrists met and his shoulders were forced back, thrusting out his chest and making him let out a little breath of pleasure. Neji turned his head to face forward again.

Tenten had no clue why Neji liked being dominated considering his clan situation but she wouldn't complain. She would ask him tonight though, if she remembered.

They had been doing _this_ kind of sex for almost a year now, not every time but enough she had filled a scroll with interesting gear and the woman at the underground shop knew them by first name. It had been an accidental find, really, their kink. She had smacked him on the ass during normal sex one time and the way he had _groaned_.

It went off from there.

"Mistress?"

She ran her hand over his back, skimming her fingers along his spine, and he trembled happily under her touch. She kissed the back of his neck and he let out a little purr. Tenten went back to her scroll.

She knew Neji watched her as she considered what else she would put him in tonight. She smirked and summoned from the fourth seal. Tenten licked her lips before lifting up the nipple clamps and cock ring. She turned and kneeled in front of Neji, holding up her palm towards him so he could see her intentions.

He nodded. She kissed his cheek and he returned the kiss, gently.

Tenten put the cock ring on first, slipping it over his wet hard length until it was at the hilt and pulling on the strap softly until it was tight enough not to come off.

"Mistress, tighter?"

"No,"

Neji frowned but inclined his head. Tighter would cause him too much pain and she didn't want him to be in pain. Sometimes he didn't know his own threshold when it came to keeping something on too taut for too long. Tenten opened one nipple clamp and caught his right nipple between her fingers. The clamp went on easily and she adjusted it to a medium intensity.

Their eyes met and Tenten shook her head. Neji let out a little breath and kept the frown on his face. She kissed his clamped nipple and flicked her tongue over it, making him shiver. Tenten clamped his other nipple before joining the two with a chain. The chain hung loose to a few inches above his belly button.

Tenten wrapped her pointer finger around the middle of the chain and pulled the chain towards her. The chain tensed and pulled on Neji's nipples tenderly. Neji let out a little groan and his eyes half closed in adore. She let the chain drop and he hummed.

She went back to her scroll. She felt Neji watching her and she smirked before releasing another seal. Tenten gathered the two items from the seal before kneeling in front of him and showing him. He smiled and nodded.

Tenten wrapped the black leather chevron collar around his neck and buckled it in place before pulling it into place so the large d-ring hung in front. She clipped the silver chain leash through the d-ring and admired him for a moment.

Neji still breathed faster than normal but had allowed his lips to part. His entire body shuddered lightly in what she knew was delight. Neji's white eyes had gone wide but had glazed over in passion. She kissed him on the lips and he allowed her to take over the slow, leisurely kiss.

She pulled away reluctantly and patted his shoulder. Tenten said nothing as she got off the bed and went to her long dresser. She did feel his eyes on her as she grabbed a hair tie and her brush. Neji leaned into her touch when she began brushing his hair until it hung smoothly down his back.

Tenten began braiding back his hair until she came to the ends where she tied off the plait with her hair tie. Tenten put her hand under the base of the braid at the back of his neck and let her hand flow downwards. Neji's braided hair tickled against her fingers and she stopped at about halfway before pulling him back hard.

Neji gasped but gave into the tug. His eyes met hers and he had a smile on his face. Tenten kissed his forehead and he licked his lips. She let him go and he shifted to sit upright again. Tenten patted his shoulder before going back to her scroll. She released the rest of the items she wanted then rolled up the scroll and put it on the floor at the foot of her bed.

Tenten went back to Neji's back with her items and set them beside her. Neji had tilted his head to watch her but she placed a finger on his cheek and pushed. He nodded and looked forward again. Tenten smirked.

She knew Neji would be licking his lips as soon as he heard the cap of the lube pop open. She pulled on a leather glove before running a line of lube over her gloved pointer finger. Neji sighed in bliss when she began rubbing the lube along his rectum.

"Make this easy for me," Tenten said.

Neji bent. Tenten watched the muscles moving under his back so his chin and shoulders rested on the bed. His knees spread apart further as he bent and his hands shifted until he could grab his asscheeks in his hands so he could expose his hole to her. Tenten massaged his lower back and he chuckled.

Tenten went back to prepping him, pushing her gloved and lubed digit into his hole and spreading around the slick material so penetration would not hurt. Neji's breaths came out in short little gasps of joy and she had to finger herself with her glove free hand through her panties. When she had three fingers in him, she placed her glove free hand onto his upper back to get his attention.

"I'm giving you a choice tonight," Tenten said.

"Thank you, Mistress,"

"You're welcome. I've got the purple dildo, the blue butt plug, and the strap on. Which would you prefer?"

Tenten ran her hand lightly along his upper back from shoulder blade to shoulder blade and he quivered under her touch. Sweat had started to gather along his spine and under the leather of the restraints. Sure, she gave him the choice in what he wanted up his ass tonight but she hoped he picked the strap on. She wanted to get off the same time as him instead of doing something creative to get them both off.

"The strap on please, Mistress,"

Tenten grinned. She pulled her fingers out of his ass, removing the glove by the cuff and placing it on a towel to clean later. Tenten tapped Neji's middle back and he relaxed. His hands came off his asscheeks and he allowed his knees to bend so his thighs almost touched his calves. As he shifted, Tenten got her panties off.

She tugged on the synthetic belts and made sure the seven inch long flesh colored dick was secured properly so it wouldn't randomly detach from the harness while they were in mid-thrust. It had happened once before and yeah, they'd had a good laugh over it later but during it had been exceptionally frustrating.

Tenten put the upraised nubs on the inside of the harness over her clit and licked her lips. The nubs extended over her clit and into her mound a bit then down over her lower lips to almost her ass so even if she shifted too much she wouldn't lose _any_ stimulation.

"Ready?"

"Yes, Mistress,"

Neji spoke softly but she could hear the delight in his voice. Tenten grinned and placed the head of the dildo against Neji's loose hole. She pushed forward and he gasped, arching his back towards her. Tenten smiled before kissing his upper back. She let it take a long few minutes to get the entire dildo up his ass but Neji knew better than to complain about her pace.

If she was too slow for him and he complained then she would slow down more. Too quick and she would either stop all together or speed up. Tenten let out a little breath once she was fully inside and sat up straight.

"Cat o' nine tails, cane, or riding whip?" Tenten questioned.

"The cane please, Mistress," Neji said.

Tenten scowled. Their cane was bamboo wood and half an inch thick. It could _hurt_ really bad if she didn't concentrate on how hard she hit. Neji _knew_ (as did she) from experience when she used the strap on the cane normally didn't get employed. She tended to lose focus and whack him hard enough to break skin.

Still, he didn't mind the sting when she didn't strike so hard. It also left a nice mark on his flesh that would fade in two or three days. And if she hit him _just_ right when they trained and he moved to avoid her weapons the marks on his flesh would jolt a little and make him smirk.

Even so, they both knew the damage she could do with the cane. The first time they had tried it with the strap on had been the last time for a damned good reason.

"Why do you want so much pain tonight?" Tenten asked.

Neji sighed. She put a hand on his hip and waited. They both knew she would wait until he answered before continuing and in this one instance, she was more patient than him. Neji didn't bother to turn his head. He did nothing but breathe but this came out quicker than normal because of his position. Tenten started rubbing his hip.

"Elders," Neji said.

Tenten rolled her eyes and smacked his hip. He gasped in shock. Normally her strikes were firm yeah, but he hated being swatted without warning and on the hips. He preferred butt, back, and upper thigh spanks.

"How many times have I told you not to use the pain you get from this to let go of whatever the Hell annoying thing the Elders have said?"

"Many, Mistress,"

"Good, you remember. What did they say?"

Tenten ran her fingers over the spot she had hit. Neji shifted uncomfortably but he knew there wasn't much he could do to get away right now trained shinobi or not. All their gear was shinobi proof and besides, Neji had nothing sharp on him.

"That I should marry the distant relative of mine and give the strength of my eyes to the Main House like they want. Hiashi-sama told them to leave me alone but I do not know how much longer they will,"

Tenten scowled. Stupid Hyuuga Elders and wanting to take her Neji away. He'd almost _died_ during the war to protect Hinata and they couldn't give him a break even after three freaking years. Jeez, they were twenty now for crying out loud. Hinata had married Naruto a few months back and they didn't yell at her.

Then again she wasn't a potential heiress to the Hyuuga Clan anymore and Naruto was going to be guaranteed the seventh Hokage spot once Kakashi passed it up. Plus Naruto was one of the _only_ people left with a tailed beast sealed inside him so really the Hyuuga Elders couldn't say no.

"Jerks," Tenten said.

"Yes, well, Hiashi-sama will keep holding them off and all we can do is trust him," Neji said.

She knew. She hated it too because it meant relying on someone else to solve _her_ and Neji's issues. She _hated_ relying on other people to solve her problems especially when she didn't know the other person well. She didn't mind Hiashi much _now_ but damn it she wanted to have a say on who Neji married. They had been officially dating since the freaking war ended!

Tenten was _sure_ if Neji didn't have the Elders hanging over his head then he would have proposed to her all ready. She knew there weren't many women in Konoha who would be willing to peg him with a dildo and train with him the way she did.

Tenten sighed and ran a hand over her hair. If she didn't have Neji trussed and ready to go she might flip him over to cuddle. She knew better. He'd be _more_ pissed if she untied him now to comfort him.

"Okay, I'll make you a deal: riding whip and ball gag instead of the cane?" Tenten questioned.

Neji hummed. She kept rubbing his hip in apology where she had smacked him while he considered.

"Accepted, Mistress,"

Tenten smirked. Shifting to get the ball gag into his mouth proved to be a little difficult now that she was inside of him but she managed and he hummed in thanks. She moved back and picked up the riding whip, kicking the cane, dildo, and butt plug to the floor where they all landed with solid thunks.

Neji's shoulders rotated in preparation and she grabbed the chain of the leash in her left hand, pulling him upwards as she leaned back. He moaned, low in his throat, as he was further impaled on the dick, exposed his chest, and kept his back somewhat free.

Tenten began to move and she heard Neji inhale sharply. She concentrated on her hip motions, thrusting from a sort of backwards kneeling position, and licked her lips. Neji jolted when the whip came down across his abs but he quacked in satisfaction. Even staring at the back of his head she could tell if he liked something or not.

She had been with him as a teammate and friend for eight years, lover and girlfriend for three of those same years. She knew when he didn't like something by the tension in the muscles along his shoulders and upper back or the way his eyes would narrow if she happened to be looking at his front. If his eyes were covered then his pectoral muscles would tense in a certain way to tell her Neji had enough of whatever she happened to be doing.

It was why they didn't need safe words. Not in sex, not during training, and not even while they sometimes argued about something or another. No, they both knew each other's tells whether the other was dressed or not, facing the other or not. Their relationship was perfect like that and everyone they knew was jealous about it.

Neji jerked when she whipped him across the stomach again but his shoulders didn't tense. He let out another strangled sound of enjoyment and she started panting, thrusting hard into him. She tugged the chain a bit and whipped him across the upper thigh. Neji arched wonderfully into her and purred in pleasure.

Tenten licked her lips and was glad she had kept her hitai-ate on. It made sure the sweat coming off her forehead wouldn't get in her eyes. The nubs on the inside of the strap-on rubbed against her clit and folds _amazingly_ and she pushed up harder against him, faster, and whipped him across the other thigh.

Neji grunted and shifted back further until her nipples skimmed against his bound arms or back. Oh yeah, he knew what she liked. Tenten smiled and whipped him across the heart for that one, knowing how much he loved the bite of the whip across his sternum.

She pulled back with the whip slower than normal until she was sure the chain from his nipple clamps hadn't been caught in her whip. Once she was certain she whapped him across the upper thighs and kept pounding into him.

She was losing her grip on the metal chain her palm was so sweaty. Tenten took a moment to wrap it around her wrist and hold onto the length but didn't let up on the ramming of Neji or the whip slashes across his abs and upper thighs. The barely there touch of her nipples against his flesh drove her wild but she didn't close her eyes.

She had to keep an eye on the muscles of his upper back and shoulders in case he wanted anything to stop. She had accidently gone too far once with a paddle on his ass and they hadn't used the paddle for six months after. She hadn't blamed him.

When he had requested it one night she had to admit she had thrown their old one out. He had laughed at her but said he would be fine to wait as he was while she picked up a new one. She had taken her dear sweet time getting that new paddle but Neji had been grinning when she returned.

Tenten had to stop thinking of old times when she realized she had closed her eyes. Neji kept up a steady stream of moans, muffled curses, and cries of pure bliss and she let out a little breath of relief before puffing a stronger breath across his neck. Neji trembled and rubbed back into her. She let out a short moan and hardly managed to keep her eyes open.

Tenten knew she was close. The heat building up in her groin was reaching max and she was ready to bust all over him. Sweat gathered between her breasts, under her hitai-ate, and at her lower back. It had become extremely difficult to keep her eyes open. Tenten dropped the whip then wrapped a hand around Neji's cock.

"Close? Nod if you are," Tenten said.

Neji nodded feverishly. Tenten grinned and undid the cock ring. Neji moaned but she clasped him hard so he didn't cum.

"I didn't give you permission," Tenten said.

He whined in apology. Tenten kissed his shoulder in acceptance. She loosened her grip on his cock and pounded into him a few more times. Tenten bit her lips and blinked a bit longer than needed. Neji arched into her until his head rested against her shoulder and she looked down at him.

Eyes half closed, forehead soaked in sweat, lips pink and moist around the gag, leather straps contrasting wonderfully against his pale flesh, and cheeks deep pink. The hair at his temples was soaked and his nostrils flared so he could keep panting.

His entire body strained, making all his tempting muscles stand out along his pale flesh. The scars on his chest from the spears and old battles were darker than the rest of his flesh, puckered, but Tenten didn't think the ugliness of the scars made Neji any less beautiful.

"Now,"

Neji released with a muffled yell of pleasure. Tenten wasn't long in following and she forced the hand holding his cock to pump him until he hung limp. It took an effort for them to stay aloft in their position so she shifted so they fell on one side. Neji grunted when they landed but made no further complaint. They trembled together and Tenten let her eyes slip shut for a few moments.

Neji trying to move made her open her eyes and she pulled out. She let go of the chain and he moved until he was lying sideways on her bed all stretched out with his feet hanging over one edge. Tenten shifted until she could kiss his cheek. He hummed and looked at her sideways. She smiled.

He licked his lips when she removed the ball gag. She kissed him passionately and he reciprocated, moaning into her mouth while she tossed the ball gag to a side. It fell on the floor somewhere but she didn't care where.

"Next?" Tenten asked when she drew back.

"I am fine, Mistress," Neji said.

Tenten smirked. Sometimes he liked simply lying in bed all trussed up while she petted him wherever she wanted. She ran a hand down his arm and he smiled. Tenten kept stroking his arm and he watched her, white eyes on her hazel ones and a grin of satisfaction on his face. Tenten gave the chain connecting his nipples a tug and he shifted his hips towards her.

"Want me to ride you?" Tenten questioned.

"In a minute, Mistress but thank you," Neji replied.

Tenten nodded. She kept caressing him: arm, chest, thighs, back of his neck, his cheeks, light touches over his forehead, a poke on his nose, tracing his lips with her fingers, and generally fondling him while he watched her, content.

He had become hard under her touches and she raised an eyebrow at him. He nodded. Tenten pulled off the strap on and placed it on the towel with the glove. These she placed on her night side table before opening the top drawer to pull out a condom.

"Headboard?" Tenten asked.

"Yes please, Mistress," Neji said.

She grinned and helped him shift until his back and bound arms were against the headboard. He straightened out his long, muscular legs, and Tenten ran her hands up from his ankles to his upper thighs. He quivered under her touch, smiling, and she kissed the head of his cock before ripping open the condom and sliding it down over him.

Neji's eyes closed in adore and he arched forward. Tenten unchained his nipples but kept the clamps on. The chain was placed on a night side table. The last time she had tossed it they had to use Byakugan to find the stupid thing. Tenten wrapped the leash around her right wrist a few times until the length left was a few inches. She would have to rest her hand on his shoulder but didn't mind.

Tenten sat in his lap and moaned when she was penetrated in one fluid motion. He let out a low and sexy growl at the movement. Tenten smiled at him and he returned the gesture.

"Are you good?" Tenten questioned.

"Yes, Mistress," Neji said.

"Do you want anything extra before we start moving?"

"No, Mistress but thank you for asking,"

Neji leaned forward and their lips met. Tenten began to move and held on tight when his hips met hers thrust for thrust. She heard the covers shifting as he raised his legs so she could lean comfortably against his knees. She unwrapped the leash a bit so she could rest her hand on his heart. Tenten grabbed the headboard beside Neji's head in her left hand then relaxed against him.

She stopped thrusting which allowed him full control despite the fact he was bound. Tenten let her eyes slip shut as Neji rammed into her. The noises they made blended and after a while Tenten didn't bother trying to figure out who was making which sound. The slap of their flesh and their heated breaths were loud in her room but she didn't mind. The feel of his heart pounding under her hand turned her on more than she cared to admit.

"Cum when you want," Tenten gasped out.

"Thank you, Mistress," Neji sputtered.

He let out a groan but she knew he didn't release. Neji had a few specific sounds for reaching completion and she knew them by heart. His thrusts did start to become wild but she didn't mind. It was a fun ride.

Tenten was about to beg him to come as she was having trouble holding on when Neji made a half-strangled growling sound. She let herself go with a gasp as he gave a few more feral shoves into her and began shivering in release.

Tenten fell against his chest but he let out a little grunt of amusement as she trembled atop him. They sat panting against each other and she felt as his heart began to slow under her palm. Tenten let her body relax against his with her head pressed on his shoulder and her entire form melting over his.

After a few moments he shifted and Tenten sat up in his lap. He hummed and she kissed the tip of his nose. She started with the nipple clamps, pulling both off gently and kissing each nipple once they were off.

They settled beside the chain on her night table and she unclipped the leash from the collar then let both items drop to the floor beside her bed. She planted a few soft kisses over his throat and he purred happily.

Tenten got off him and moved to kneel on the bed. She pulled off the used condom, tied a knot to close it then tossed it perfectly into her garbage can across the room. Tenten kissed each lash mark on his body before helping him kneel with his back to her. She unbuckled the belts keeping the arm restraints together, leaving them hanging loose off his left wrist, and rubbed his shoulders to help him move his arms.

He hummed in thanks but moved his arms away from her hands when she went to talk off the restraints themselves. Tenten smirked. Sometimes he liked keeping the restraints on overnight and it seemed like tonight would be the case.

Tenten pushed everything off the bed except for Neji then shifted. Neji watched as she lay out in bed with her head on the pillows and back against the rumbled blanket. When she was stretched out Neji laid his head on her stomach with the top of it close to her breasts. His arms wrapped around her waist while his legs curled around hers. He lay so his stomach rested against her right side even though she had taken the middle of the bed. He had enough room to take either side but he preferred lying to her right for some reason.

Tenten took his braid in her hands until she could take the elastic out and began unbraiding his hair. Neji let out a little breath and began rubbing the skin under his hands softly. Tenten smiled as he massaged her gently.

She got the braid undone and began running her right hand through his hair while the left entwined in his right hand. His left shifted under her body so his left hand could rub the skin of her hip. Tenten kept running her fingers through his hair and he hummed in thanks.

They did not speak as Tenten snuggled with him. When they had bought their restraints the woman at the store had offered a book for beginners in bondage and told them it was best to cuddle with the submissive after a session.

They had read the book to each other that night instead of playing with their new toys. There had even been a twenty question survey to see who was the dominate one in bed. Both had been shocked to find Tenten was the dominate one in the bedroom. There had been a checklist too and they hadn't really been surprised to see they had checked off the same things as wanting to try, struck off the same concepts as _never_ attempting, and circled the same for any maybes.

"How're you doing?" Tenten questioned.

"I'm exceptionally comfortable right now. If you stop running your hand through my hair I might actually cry,"

Tenten smirked. She kept running her hand though Neji's hair only stopping at his scalp to massage it. He kept stroking her hip absently and his breathing came out in controlled, soft, and, _normal_ breaths.

"Can I ask you a question?" Tenten asked.

"You did but yes," Neji replied.

She snorted at him. She kept petting his hair and took a breath. He might get mad.

"Why do you like being dominated so much?" Tenten questioned.

"Hn,"

He didn't move but didn't offer her anything else but his neutral sound. His muscles didn't tense though and he kept rubbing her hip. Tenten frowned.

"Neji, I'm serious. Why do you like me taking control of you in the most intimate thing we could possibly do?"

Neji sighed. He shifted and she let him. He didn't go far but enough he could lift his head and meet her eyes. Tenten placed a hand on the side of his face and he rubbed into her hand, half closing his eyes like some kind of feline. Tenten massaged his scalp as he thought about her question.

"I do not get much choice when it comes to my life," Neji said.

Tenten nodded. He had been born into the Branch House so his entire life revolved around serving the Main House. He didn't have a choice of whether he wanted to be a shinobi or not because he had manifested Byakugan. He didn't get to choose his team. He hadn't really gotten to choose his friends as Naruto had kind of taken over really.

He hadn't gotten to pick a fighting style or if he wanted to excel in something besides the Gentle Fist. He couldn't really choose what he wanted to wear because if he did wear something "scandalous" the Elders would punish him. He had no say over any aspect of his life except for training and sex.

During training, Tenten allowed him to pick what they would do. When training had been with Guy-sensei the training had been a certain regime but mixed up enough that Neji didn't complain nor care. On the training field now, it was Neji's choice on time, location, and what they did.

He chose where they ate if they went out for dinner or any other meal, he chose the movies they watched (but did keep her in mind when they did), and he chose what they would do on dates. So it didn't make sense he would allow her control in the bedroom and his answer didn't help.

"Yeah I know. It's why this confuses me," Tenten said.

Neji chuckled. He nuzzled into her hand again and she couldn't help but smile at him.

"You still give me the _choice_ of what you're doing to me. Yes, you may be in control of the act itself but you also ask _me_ what I prefer during said act. And to be honest, it is, well, _sexy_ to have you, someone I trust with every ounce of my being, in control of me in our bedroom activities,"

Neji kissed her hand and Tenten grinned. He had good points. Tenten watched as he shrugged.

"I also don't want to bind you. You're too free spirited to be bound and I'm afraid I might hurt you,"

Neji kept his eyes on her and she let out a little breath. Tenten trusted he wouldn't hurt her. Heck, when he took control during a mission he always made sure everyone played to their strengths and came back safely.

"You would never hurt me," Tenten said.

Neji shrugged.

"Not intentionally," Neji said.

Tenten snorted at him.

"I've hurt you unintentionally lots of times. So what's the difference?"

Neji let out a little breath. He smirked.

"I don't like hurting you even if it is unintentional. My first thought after almost dying on the battlefield was how much my death might hurt you and I, well, almost wanted to die because it would hurt you so badly," Neji said.

Tenten raised an eyebrow. Sometimes he didn't make sense.

"And you think I like hurting you?" Tenten asked.

He snorted.

"Says the one who whipped me tonight,"

He grinned as she flushed. Okay, he made a good point there. Something about seeing Neji bound and under her mercy made her feel really good. She had no idea why but whatever. He loved it, she loved it and that's all that mattered.

Neji snuggled back into her body again, this time resting his head on her breasts. She smirked but didn't complain. Tenten kept running her hands through Neji's hair or massaging his scalp until his breathing went even and deep, signaling the fact he had fallen asleep.

Tenten used the chain from his nipples to turn off both lamps before settling back into a comfortable position. Tomorrow they would don robes, eat breakfast then put all their toys away before showering and heading out to train. Tenten closed her eyes but couldn't help smiling. They had nothing to do tomorrow night either. It would be an awesome night.

* * *

So there will be more chapters as I discovered after writing this one. It's more ongoing fiction...yay?

Eventually there will be _children._ ;)

Also: to those who are in the BDSM lifestyle, please, please, _please,_ _ **please**_ let me know if I'm misrepresenting or doing anything wrong. Reviews welcome. :)


	2. Shopping

**Shopping**

 **Author's notes:** Tenten accidently takes Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and Temari dildo shopping then does some shopping with Neji.

 **WARNING:** Exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji _lives_. They're 20 in this series of...bondage "drabbles."

* * *

Tenten wished she could be with Neji right now. But, he was on a mission (in a new outfit) and she was stuck shopping with Ino, Hinata, Temari, and Sakura. She didn't mind girl's night out but she could never go into the shops she wanted to go into like the really awesome one with all the leather outfits and the little sex shop she and Neji liked to visit.

No, they had to go to the dress shops, the shoe stores, and the jewellery stores which had _nothing_ to do with leather, black, or anything she could wear (or get Neji in) for their night time activities. Hell, most normal shoe stores didn't even sell knee high leather boots, never mind knee high leather boots with a six inch stiletto heel, and don't even get her started on knee high leather stiletto heeled boots for men.

"Aw, you miss Neji, don't you?" Ino asked.

She missed the way he looked in the arm restraints and the way he curled up against her after a scene. She missed the way he smelled after training or the way he smiled happily while they simply lay on the grass looking up at the clouds and watching the birds. Yeah, she wanted him back in Konoha. It had only been a freaking week.

"Yeah," Tenten muttered.

Temari snorted at her. Tenten raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know why you love him so much," Temari said. "He picks where you guys eat, what movies you watch, how you guys train, and basically controls every aspect of your life."

"Yeah, what's _with_ that?" Ino asked. "I mean, yeah give him some control but jeez girl, I thought you were a feminist."

Tenten wanted to laugh at the two blondes but kept her mouth shut. She did see Hinata biting her lip and fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

"This is Neji-niisan," Hinata said softly. "The one who has had no control his entire life."

Ino and Temari gaped. Sakura snickered. Tenten winked at the two but turned away to see what shop they would be going into now. Ino led them into one of her favorites after apologizing to Tenten for the remark.

Tenten shrugged off Ino's apology as well as Temari's. It didn't matter what her friends thought of Neji controlling their relationship. She got to control him in one of the important aspects of it. Not that she or Neji would ever tell anyone.

BDSM was still in its fledgling stages in Konoha and many people still thought it was a strange and weird kink for shinobi to have. Tenten thought it was perfectly natural. Who else would be able to appreciate taking control of a person?

"Tenten this dress would look amazing on you," Ino gushed.

Ino held up a burgundy dress which would cling to curves and stopped at the ankle. It was a mermaid style so tight from bust to almost knees with no slit, no sleeves and scooped low in the back. The material was shiny though but this shininess did not make up for the fact Tenten wouldn't be able to hide any weapons in the dress or move in it.

Bad enough she had changed her comfortable pants and shirt for a white qipao dress with pale red flames held down with a red obi, gold clasps at her neck and right outer thigh with fishnet stockings, and black knee high open toed boots. At least she could carry a weapon pouch on her right thigh, two scrolls on her back, and still wear her bracelet scrolls. And she had to admit her buns did look cool braided with the bit hanging down her neck. Still.

"Nope," Tenten said.

"Aw, why not?" Sakura asked.

"I wouldn't be able to fight in that thing," Tenten replied.

All four rolled their eyes at her.

"Who said you would _have_ to fight in it?" Temari questioned.

"We're shinobi, battle might break out at any time," Tenten answered.

More eye rolls followed up with mutters of annoyance and shakes of the head.

"Tenten, we're almost at complete peace right now. Random fights aren't going to break out while you're on a date," Ino said.

Tenten sighed. She didn't take the dress from Ino's hands though. They toured the store. Ino bought a halter dress which hardly skimmed her mid-thighs and was made of a shimmery purple material. Hinata bought a white summer dress, Sakura the same kind of dress as Ino but in deep pink, and Temari a blue version of the dress Ino had wanted Tenten to try on. Tenten left empty handed as had been the case for the day thus far.

They continued on the shopping excursion but on this trip something interesting happened. They passed by a new store which would be having its grand opening in a few days. Ino always got excited about new stores but this time she gaped at the sign.

"Red Light Material? Does that imply what I _think_?" Ino asked.

"You mean an adult toy store? Yeah," Temari said.

Tenten kept down her grin but memorized the location of the place. There was only one store in Konoha which catered to adult toys but to have another one, well, it would be pretty awesome. Shopping around would be great.

"But it's so out in the open, you know?" Sakura said. "Besides, what self-respecting person would want to set foot in there?"

Tenten _almost_ made a pincushion out of Sakura but didn't. For one she had just three hundred senbon needles on her and pincushions needed at least five hundred and a few dozen kunai. For two, well, no one knew what she and Neji did in the bedroom.

"There's a place in Suna like this. It's not that bad Sakura," Temari said.

"Anko has been complaining about not having another one," Ino mentioned.

"We all ready _have_ one?" Sakura questioned in wonder.

Tenten bit her lip. They did and the last time she and Neji had checked there hadn't been anything new which suited their particular interests. It had been a sad day.

"Yeah, come on," Ino said.

"No way are we going into a sex store," Sakura said.

She was beat red. Hinata looked seconds away from fainting. Temari and Ino smirked. Maybe Tenten would forgive them for insulting her and Neji's relationship.

"It's not _bad_ in a bad way. I mean, don't you ever get tired of using your hands when you're hot?" Ino asked.

Sakura gaped. Ino rolled her eyes but grabbed Sakura's arm and started dragging Sakura a familiar way for Tenten. Temari hooked an arm through Hinata's but both blondes paused to stare at Tenten. They blinked when they saw she followed without issue.

"What? I'm naturally curious," Tenten said.

They nodded. Sakura finally got a hold of herself half way there but followed with a frown on her face. Hinata couldn't get rid of her flush. Ino and Temari sounded excited while Tenten hoped the owner didn't ask where Neji was.

They entered the store and Tenten smiled. The owner spotted her and grinned, but didn't say a word. Tenten gave her a wink and the owner winked back. Thankfully the woman knew better.

"Woah," Ino said in awe.

If the girls had been expecting a dirty looking dump run by a pervert they had been sorely mistaken. _Helen's Pleasures_ was large with clean white floors and gold colored racks, shelves, and three tier counters placed through the stores.

To the right were outfits for play. The left was the wall of dildos, vibrators, and other actual toys. The middle was Helen's counter which had a glass center display full of the really complicated and beautiful sex toys. Books hung out on the racks and shelves along the right side of the counter. On the left side of the counter were condoms, lube, and batteries.

Behind the counter and to the right were corsets, boots, gloves, collars, and other BDSM wear. Behind and to the left were beginner's BDSM supplies which included silk scarves, blindfolds, light whips which were more disappointing than anything else, and a few weak restraints.

Across the back wall was a gold and black curtain with a part down the middle. This area hid the porn movies from sight as well as held all the serious BDSM gear like the restraints Tenten used on Neji, the strap on, the whips, bamboo cane, paddle, collar, and other such goodies.

"I don't even know where to start," Ino said.

"Me neither," Temari admitted. "The place in Suna is nothing like this. It's like in a back alley somewhere and half the size. This place looks, well, _good._ "

Tenten rolled her eyes. She didn't mind being in the shop one bit but it would get boring watching the girls gasping and gaping over everything they had never seen before. Tenten had no idea how annoying it would be to have such vanilla friends.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Sakura asked.

"Depends," Tenten said.

All four looked at her, Hinata with her eyes wide and blushing, Ino with a raised eyebrow, Temari with a smirk, and Sakura while nibbling on her lip.

"Are you actually going to buy a Sasuke replacement or no?" Tenten questioned.

Ino and Temari snickered as Sakura flushed. Hinata actually giggled and Tenten smirked.

"Well, he is out of the village a lot," Sakura muttered.

Tenten snorted. She strode towards the wall of toys and stood in front of the display of dildos. All four gaped in wonder.

"You've got options," Tenten began. "Standard sized that are basically a piece of molded plastic that looks like a dick and do nothing, you've got vibrating ones, rotating ones, ones that do both, ones that have a clit stimulator attached that both do a combination of vibrating and rotating, ones that have both a clit stimulator _and_ an anal stimulator if you're into that, ones that are double penetrating and flexible so you can do both holes at once, and ones that are super sized. Then there's a stretching kit to make yourself more flexible and there are hands free ones which attach with straps to your upper thighs so all you have to do is hold the controller and enjoy. You've also got blow up dolls for girls with some pretty interesting features."

The four were still staring at her. Tenten shrugged. Temari got over her shock first.

"How in the _Hell_ do you know all that?" Temari asked.

Tenten kicked herself, mentally then smirked. She might as well tell them.

"Neji and I have been here a few times to look around," Tenten said.

Hinata fainted. Ino stumbled as did Temari but they caught each other. Sakura kept staring in awe.

"Really? Neji? As in Hyuuga Cold-As-Ice Neji?" Temari questioned with a squeak.

"Ice melts when it gets hot," Tenten said.

Tenten heard Helen chuckle and smiled. Helen knew what Tenten meant. The look of nervous happiness on Neji's face when they came looking would make anyone in Konoha think someone had drugged him or something. Hinata got to her feet slowly but the blush was still there.

"So, um, what do you suggest?" Sakura asked.

Tenten smirked. She walked along the wall while the others followed. Tenten found the dildo she was looking for and took it off the wall to show Sakura, Ino, Temari, and Hinata.

"This one is a hands free one but you don't have to use it as hands free since the straps are removable. It's got clitoral stimulation and it's not unnaturally big or thick. The dick rotates while the clit part vibrates both with seven different speeds on the same controller. Ridges along the dick for extra stimulation and hey, the tip looks like a tip.

"If you want to go hands free you can strap it in place, set your speeds to your liking then you know, play with your boobs while this toy does its thing. The controller and toy itself is all discrete enough you could actually wear it under clothes if you wanted to get kinky."

Hinata fainted again but Sakura caught her. Ino and Temari were still clinging to each other while Sakura stared in awe. Helen chuckled again. Tenten grinned.

"It comes in pink, purple, or blue," Tenten finished.

"I'm guessing you have one," Sakura said.

Tenten nodded. It was one of her favorite toys both when Neji wasn't around and when he was. Tenten wouldn't tell the girls if a person got creative it could be used on a guy so the clit stimulator rubbed against his sack. Tenten had fun making Neji walk around with it on, arms bound back, nipples clamped, and guiding him around with the leash.

"It's five hundred ryo, that's more than the dress I bought," Ino said.

"Yeah but this has a life time guarantee so if it ever short circuits or breaks you just have to mail it out to the company and they'll discreetly send you a new one, rush delivery. Plus a girl whose main squeeze is M.I.A will get a lot more use out of this than a dress," Tenten said.

Sakura flushed but took the toy from Tenten's hands. She flipped it over to read the back of the packaging with red cheeks, wide eyes, and her lower lip caught between her teeth. Ino grabbed a purple one, Temari a blue one and Hinata shyly took a purple one. Tenten grinned and showed them the wall of vibrators.

"Holy Hell," Temari muttered.

"You've got your typical bullet vibrators with various speeds and types of vibrations, some are water proof which can be used underwater or inside of you and some aren't. You've got finger vibes which strap onto your finger, butterfly vibes which you wear and they kind of engulf your clit and some of your lips depending where you put it, vibrating panties, vibrating wands, and a bunch of various shapes and sizes. The classic bullet vibe does the job great and it can be used _anywhere_ , not just on your clit."

Tenten found her magic bullet and handed one to each of the girls: Sakura's in pink, Ino and Hinata in purple, and Temari's in blue. They all gaped at the packaging.

"It's got seven different pulsations, waterproof, and discrete remote so if you want to take it out and about then you can without worrying too much. The noise is quiet too so you don't have to worry about someone hearing you with it and unlike some of the other bullets it takes double a batteries instead of triple a or those ones for hearing aids. And hey, it's cheap. Again, life time warranty so if it goes stupid on you all you have to do is pay postage to ship it to the company and they send you a new one."

Neji _adored_ this bullet. She had to use the ball gag on him when she used it or he would wake up the block when he came. Tying him down then teasing his nipples, sack, cock, and the back of his neck drove him wild. She'd put it up his ass once and he had fainted when he came. It had scared the crap out of her at the time but she liked to tease him with the moment. Hell, whenever she took it out of their scroll he would blush and beg.

"Okay, you've obvious come here more than a few times," Temari said.

Tenten smirked but shrugged.

"Neji goes on a lot of away missions which last a few weeks or more. Not my fault a girl gets lonely," Tenten said.

Hinata had to be caught by Sakura again. Ino and Temari laughed. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Don't I know it? So, what else is there?" Sakura asked.

Tenten let out a little breath as Hinata came to again. Tenten didn't want to take the girls into the back room. They were smart and would easily figure out _how_ she knew so much about the bondage gear. Then they might think Neji dominated her and she would have to admit it was the other way around. No way that was going to happen.

"Well, this wall has some outfits, that wall up front has costumes, this one here has bondage stuff," Tenten said.

"What about the back room?" Ino questioned.

"Heavier bondage stuff and videos," Tenten said.

Hinata gulped. Ino stared in interest while Temari hummed. Sakura scowled.

"I don't think I'd like anything in the bondage section. No thanks to tying up," Sakura said.

"Oh, _oh,_ right. Well," Ino said.

She looked thoughtful. Temari did as well. Tenten inwardly balked. She would have to pretend she knew nothing if they went into the back room. Thankfully Temari and Ino went to the wall first.

"Nipple clamps, wouldn't that hurt?" Ino asked.

They looked to her and Tenten shrugged. Neji seemed to like them but she had never tried them. Temari hummed but had a smile on her face.

"I'm guessing you and Neji don't often come to this wall?" Temari questioned.

"No, not really," Tenten said.

They giggled. It wasn't a lie. They knew this wall had nothing for their particular interests as it was all too light for them. She and Neji mainly wandered the back of the store, the outfits, and the vibrators or dildos.

"Handcuffs, hey, you should get these Tenten," Sakura said. "You could control Neji for once!"

Hinata groaned and rubbed her forehead as Ino, Temari, and Sakura laughed. Please, Neji would be able to slip right out of those cuffs. It was why she liked the leather restraints.

"This _is_ my niisan we're talking about," Hinata said.

"Somehow I don't think he'd like being restrained, you know?" Temari said thoughtfully.

Sakura hummed but shrugged.

"Can't hurt to try," Sakura said.

Tenten took the cuffs from Sakura on her insistence. Neji would laugh at her later but maybe she could get creative with them. Tenten decided not to tell the girls she and Neji had gone through their trying phase and knew exactly what they liked.

They explored the bondage wall and the outfits. Temari tried on a pair of thigh high leather stiletto heels and fell in love with them. They got Hinata into a corset and she decided to buy it and the matching thong. Ino found a sexy teddy while Sakura found a pair of killer red heels. They talked Tenten into buying something.

"Fine, fine," Tenten muttered.

"So, what's his kink?" Temari asked.

Hinata sighed. Sakura and Ino giggled. Tenten could make all four faint while describing Neji's kinks but didn't want to get into it. Besides, it would be fun to surprise Neji with a new outfit. She rarely dressed for his pleasure.

"Sorry, not telling," Tenten said.

"Aw," Temari pouted.

Tenten rolled her eyes. Tenten found a nice leather corset and a short leather skirt which would barely skim her ass. She all ready had a pair of kick ass knee high boots to go with it and a belt which could hold either toys or her whip.

"Nice," Ino said.

"Guys like leather," Temari added.

Tenten smirked. She turned to pay but the other four girls had stopped and looked towards the back curtain. Tenten inwardly screamed as Ino and Temari began walking towards it. Sakura followed then Hinata so Tenten had no choice.

"Holy crap," Ino gasped.

Tenten licked her lips. Helen had gotten _new_ stock. Oh my god, Neji would _love_ the new gag. It had two dicks instead of a ball for penetration on the gagged one's mouth and it would let her take a ride on his face. She couldn't buy it. Not while the girls were gasping and freaking out over simple things like wrist restraints.

"Okay, this is way too, too," Ino tried.

"Weird," Sakura said.

"I don't know, a collar would be kind of sexy," Temari said.

Tenten decided _not_ to mention Temari held the same collar Tenten used on Neji. Hinata picked up a butt plug set, turned it over, read the back then squeaked and dropped the package as if it had been on fire.

"What?" Ino asked.

"Butt plugs," Hinata got out.

Tenten almost laughed but kept it down. She and Neji had started with that particular set. Hell, sometimes she used the third one in on him when she wanted him to clean her place for her.

"Anal beads," Sakura sputtered.

Yeah, Neji liked those too. He pouted whenever it came time to removing them. The ones with the ring on the outside end were his favorite as his cock fit in the ring and it could be pulled in different positions depending how deep the beads went.

"A paddle? What would, oh, _oh_ ," Ino said.

The one Ino held up was in the shape of a hand. Tenten thought it was stupid. If you wanted to leave a handprint it should be your own.

"Sorry, this collar is really sexy," Temari said.

Tenten thought so too though she hoped Temari didn't buy it. Knowing Temari and Shikamaru would use the same collar Neji and she used would be too weird.

"You're nuts," Sakura said.

"Raised with a demon as a little brother," Temari said.

Tenten snorted and they all looked to her as if remembering she was with them. Ino gave her a curious look. Tenten cursed mentally.

"You look way too amused by all this," Ino said.

Tenten shrugged.

"Best place to buy whips for weapons," Tenten said.

All four fainted. Tenten grinned. Ha, like she would use the whips she used on Neji as weapons. It would be a waste of a good whip.

* * *

"So guess where the girls and I went shopping the other day?"

Tenten rubbed Neji's shoulders after tugging on the arm restraints. Neji turned his head to her and lifted an eyebrow in question. She kissed his cheek. Neji chuckled.

"Where, Mistress?" Neji asked.

"I said guess,"

"Hm, my apologies, Mistress. Well, considering you are always forced to go dress and shoe shopping I would assume something out of the ordinary. Ah, Helen's, Mistress?"

"Yep. There's also a new place opening. Red Light Materials,"

"Ah,"

Neji had a flush on his cheeks but his eyes glittered in excitement. Tenten hooked a rope through the buckles keeping his wrists in place behind his back. She tied one end of the rope tight on the buckles then tied the other end of the rope to her head board. Neji hummed.

"Helen's has a new gag which I went back for," Tenten said.

"Thank you, Mistress,"

"Does that mean you want to try it out?"

"If it pleases you, Mistress,"

He licked his lips and his cock twitched. Oh he totally wanted the new gag. Tenten grinned. She bent at the waist and heard Neji groan. She wore her new leather corset, the leather mini-skirt, and her knee high leather boots. She had tied her hair into a messy bun at the back of her head and hanging off her skirt was the bullet vibe, the anal beads, a whip, and Neji's leash.

Tenten took the gag out of the black bag she hid in her closet then went to him. Neji's eyebrows raised but he nodded. Tenten grinned as she loosened the straps of the gag first before putting it over his head. The smaller end of the dildo (three inches long) went into Neji's mouth and she tightened the straps over his cheeks and the one which skimmed over the center of his head, forehead and around his nose.

"Good?" Tenten asked once it was in place.

Neji nodded which looked funny since a six inch cock stuck out of his mouth. He managed a smirk. She kissed both his cheeks, holding his chin in her hands and he hummed happily. Tenten held up the collar and he nodded again.

Tenten collared him, letting the leash hang down over his bare chest, sculpted abs, and brushing against his wet length. She hoped back onto the bed and pushed Neji forward until the rope strained.

"You've been waiting for these beads, huh?"

He nodded. Tenten smiled and lubed up the smallest bead. She pushed it into his ass and Neji trembled in pleasure. A small groan came out of his throat when she got to the second one. Three, four, and five went in easily. Neji pushed his butt back to indicate he would be totally fine with six and seven. Tenten obliged.

Neji sighed in joy and Tenten grinned. She pulled his cock back and got it through the ring on hanging from the last bead. Neji's shoulders didn't tense so she knew he was totally fine with this. Tenten untied the rope from both his restraints and the bed post and he gave her a curious look.

"Later,"

Neji blinked. He watched as she got off the bed then lifted his leash in one hand. Neji grinned around the little dick in his mouth when she stepped away from the bed and tugged on his leash. He came off the bed elegantly despite having anal beads up his ass and his hands being restraining.

He stood in front of her, chest heaving, body shivering slightly, and cock leaking. If he could have he would have licked his lips. Tenten studied Neji's naked form, all the pale smooth flesh exposed to her in the low lights of her bedroom, beads of sweat glistening down his chest to slide over his mound and upper thighs. Long unbound hair falling down his back to caress his hips...hm, she would have to do something about that.

"Good boy, but get on your knees,"

Neji did as he was told and got on his knees without a sound. She strode over to her dresser and picked up a hair tie. Neji sat still as Tenten tied his hair into a loose bun at the back of his neck. She spun the collar around to the d-ring hung at the nape of his neck and met Neji's eyes. He nodded.

"On your feet,"

Neji got up as regally as he had kneeled. Tenten took her whip from her belt in her right hand and his leash in her left. She whipped him across the ass and Neji jolted with a pleasured groan. He stepped forward though and she grinned. She had closed all her blinds and kept her bedroom door open for a reason.

Neji turned toward the front room and Tenten smiled before whipping him across the back of the thighs. He shivered in pleasure but kept walking, slowly, sensually, and wiggling his ass a bit as he moved. Her whip hit his back next and a little moan came low out of his throat.

They stepped into her living room as Tenten whipped his right side. Neji shuddered but walked toward her couch. She pulled his leash back and he stopped, panting, quivering, and exposed but enjoying every damn minute.

"We're going to walk around the perimeter first,"

Neji inclined his head and he moved towards the wall to their right. She kept whipping him: back of his thighs, butt, back, sides, as he strode around her sitting area keeping close to the walls. He walked around whatever got in his way and hardly gave pause to shiver in pleasure. He loved it though since little drops of precum hit her floor every other step.

She didn't mind. She liked watching his ass clench on the anal beads whenever she whipped it. The way his muscles moved under his skin made wetness leak down her thighs. It had been a good idea not to wear underwear under this skirt. She caught him panting, hard, and his steps faltered mid-way through their second circuit. He couldn't hold on much longer.

"All right, to the couch,"

Neji hummed in thanks and stepped towards her couch in the middle of her living room. She gave him a good whip across the ass and he groaned happily. He stopped in front of the couch then looked at her. He watched as Tenten sat in the middle of the couch and she almost laughed when he tilted his head to a side in curiosity.

His eyebrows rose marginally as she spread her legs and shifted forward a bit. A smile formed around his gag but he stood waiting for instruction. Tenten smiled.

"Kneel,"

Neji was on his knees between her legs a moment later. His eyes followed her hands as she put the whip to one side before unhooking his leash from the collar and putting this to her other side. He began flushing in anticipation when she unclipped the bullet from her waist. She took her whip in her right hand and Neji whimpered, begging as much as he could since his mouth was currently full.

"You know what to do with that cock sticking out of your mouth?"

Neji pushed the head of the dildo against her folds, almost impaling her. She nodded. She flicked on the bullet to its first vibration setting, the pure _strong_ vibes, and lightly brushed it along his right cheek. His shivered and his hips thrust forward instinctually. Tenten smirked.

"Get moving,"

She cracked the whip over his back and he groaned but thrust his face forward, impaling her on the cock in one fluid motion. Tenten let out a gasp and grinned. She moved the vibe down to his nipples and he moaned in pleasure as he began moving his head to rotate and thrust into her.

New toy or not, Neji knew what to do with it to get her going. She whipped his back, his ass, the back of his thighs, and ran the vibe along his nipples and chest, caressing the back of his neck with the little bullet as he kept pushing his face into her.

Tenten panted but forced her eyes to stay open. Neji had no such worry. His eyes had closed as he kept moving forward and back, quaking every time the whip hit his flesh and giving a little pleasure sound whenever she pressed firmly with the vibe. His bun had started to unravel but Tenten wasn't concerned.

"Let me come first," Tenten got out.

Neji moaned to let her know he had heard and began moving faster. Tenten tossed the whip away, knowing she would lose control and hit him too hard soon. She tangled her right hand into his loosening hair and he mewled in adore. Tenten helped him along with the head motions and he shifted against her in delightful ways.

Tenten leaned back on the couch and held the vibe against the _really_ sensitive spot at the back of Neji's neck. He whimpered and began shivering in pleasure. Tenten kept her eyes locked on his face, wishing she could throw her head back and relax but knowing she couldn't look away from him just in case she kept going when he had enough.

She did keep panting, thrusting her hips into his face, and gripping his hair tightly as she made circles with the vibe on the back of his neck. So far the only complaint she had about their new toy was she got absolutely no clit stimulation. Neji was trying to remedy this whenever he came in deep by using his nose but it wasn't working great.

She shifted against him but she both knew it was going to take her longer to get off without _something_ rubbing against her clit. He was so close too, straining to keep from coming, and she felt bad. Tenten grinned wickedly before moving the vibe from his neck to her clit.

The effect was instant. Tenten climaxed with a shout, shoving forward hard and holding his head in place. Neji let out one of his release growls and shuddered under her hand. She trembled from her high and they came down together, his face still smushed into her crotch. Neji didn't seem to mind.

Tenten took a few deep breaths and looked down at him. Neji stared up at her from between her legs, cheeks flush, hair tangled in her hand, body damp and trembling. Tenten pulled his head back gently and let out a long moan as the cock came out of her with a lewd little pop. She turned off the vibe before meeting his eyes. Tenten smiled at him before letting go of his hair and reaching for the straps on the gag.

Neji let out a little breath of relief and licked his lips once she got it off. She rubbed the little red marks across his face from the straps and he smiled at her. Tenten shifted until she could kiss him and he leaned up into her, happily sighing as their lips met.

They pulled apart after a few long moments but she held his head in her hands so their foreheads could touch. Neji licked his lips again and she planted her mouth on his for a moment.

"Well, what did you think of the new toy?"

Neji shifted and she let him pull back. He moved until he sat completely back, thighs against his calves in a kneeling position and she grinned when he let out a little moan. He let out a breath and winced. Tenten pulled his cock out of the ring at the end of the anal beads and he smiled in thanks.

"Are you comfortable?"

"Yes, Mistress, thank you for asking."

"The toy?"

Neji frowned then shrugged. Tenten let his hair down and lightly ran her fingers through his hair. He leaned into her touch, half closing his eyes.

"It was different but I don't know if I liked it all that much," Neji said.

"Go on,"

Neji kissed her wrist, letting his tongue slip over the delicate skin for a moment. She smiled at him and his eyes met hers.

"To be honest, I felt like a chicken trying to push that cock into you," Neji said.

Tenten burst out laughing. He chuckled along with her and after a few moments they both calmed down.

"Plus it didn't give you any clitoris stimulation at all. I think it would work better if you straddled my face instead of me being a chicken,"

"We'll try that next time. Was the little dick in your mouth okay?"

"It tasted funny,"

He made a face. Tenten giggled at him but patted his head when he pouted.

"New sex toy taste or something worse?"

"A bit of both, to be honest and there's still an after taste. It wasn't thick enough for a gag. I would expect it to be a little more, restraining. It was almost like I had another tongue in my mouth that wasn't moving which was odd and somewhat disturbing."

Tenten hummed and kept playing with his hair. Neji shifted until he could lean his head on her leg and she smiled at him. He loved snuggling with her.

"The strap over my head felt strange as well and my neck kind of hurts. How was it for you?"

His eyes met hers and she bent to kiss his forehead. He chuckled when she drew back and kept rubbing his scalp.

"Not bad but you're totally right about the lack of clit stimulation. You were trying to get your nose to do it and thanks for the thought but it just wasn't working. It was good for me though and I think it's one of those things we'll have to try in different positions for a good assessment of where it falls on the list."

He hummed as she stroked his scalp.

"Agreed. I love that outfit though,"

Tenten grinned. She had a feeling he would like it. She kissed the top of his head this time and he nuzzled against her leg.

"Yeah?" Tenten asked.

"Mm, all that leather, those boots, I almost came right there," Neji said and licked her boot at the knee. She giggled and rubbed the back of his neck in thanks. He licked her boot and the skin at her knee again.

"The skirt's adjustable so we _could_ put it on you," Tenten said.

"Hm, interesting," Neji said.

Tenten snorted then lifted his chin so she could kiss his mouth. He was right. The new toy did leave an after taste which wasn't pleasant. Hopefully a good washing would get rid of the funny taste. They drew back and Neji met her eyes.

"The leather isn't too hot?" Neji questioned.

"No, I'm good," Tenten replied.

Neji nodded happily. Tenten put the bullet and whip back in place at her waist. Neji got to his feet and Tenten clipped his leash back on before picking up the gag. Neji headed toward the bedroom with a smirk on his face. They both froze when a knock came to her door.

"Shit," Tenten muttered.

"Ah," Neji said as a blush rose to his cheeks.

His eyes went wide and Tenten saw his shoulders tense. She couldn't unbind him, put all their toys away, and get decent clothes on while the person waited. No, she'd have to shut him in the room and get rid of whoever the Hell was out there so they could continue the scene.

"Just a minute!"

Tenten guided Neji into her room and donned a robe. Neji blinked at her, nibbling on his lower lip but she kissed him and he relaxed.

"I'll get rid of them, you relax, okay?"

Tenten let out a breath of relief when he nodded. Tenten tossed the gag onto a towel for clean up later and strode out of her bedroom. She shut the door on the gorgeous sight of Neji settling on the bed then raced to whoever knocked on her front door. Tenten had to release a few traps but kept the chain on the door so whoever was outside couldn't force their way in.

"What's up?" Tenten asked.

Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and Temari gaped at her. Tenten had her booted feet hiding behind the door but her hair was messy and in a single bun. It was obvious she was either hiding something under her robe or wearing nothing but the robe.

"Hi to you to," Ino said. "Are you busy?"

Tenten snorted. Uh _yeah_ she was busy. She had her beautiful boyfriend in wrist restraints with anal beads up his ass waiting for her.

"Yeah, why?" Tenten questioned.

The four exchanged a look.

"That new store opens for a midnight special," Temari said.

New store, why would she care...oh. _Oh._ Hm. Tenten grinned.

"Give me a minute to check on something," Tenten said.

She was about to shut the door but Sakura stopped her. Tenten raised an eyebrow. Temari smirked along with Ino while Hinata flushed.

"We can't come in?" Sakura asked.

Tenten frowned. She glanced over her shoulder to her living room. Other then the wet spot Neji had left on the floor, the living room was decent.

"Conditions: no leaving the living room or kitchen. If I end up asking you to leave then you guys head out. And Hinata? No Byakugan. Trust me, you don't want to know."

The four nodded. Tenten took the chain off her door and stepped back. The four strode into her apartment but Tenten heard them gape. They had caught sight of her boots. Tenten looked at them and saw them all staring.

"What?" Tenten asked.

"Holy crap those are sexy," Ino said.

"You should get a pair. Stay here. I'll be back in a minute,"

They nodded. Tenten made it to her bedroom where she stilled for a minute in the threshold of the room. The thought of the other four girls seeing _her_ Neji like this made her walk into the room then shut and lock the door.

Neji had kneeled on the bed but his side facing her. He had gotten a hold of the ring of the anal beads and was thrusting the beads in and out of his ass. His hips shifted back and forth, body arched back and eyes half closed.

"I should just leave you here while the girls and I check out the new sex shop," Tenten said.

Neji stopped moving and looked at her with his eyes wide, one eyebrow up, and his lips parted as he panted. He licked his lips. Tenten smiled before sashaying to the bed.

"My apologies, Mistress," Neji said.

Tenten kissed him and he dropped his hands from the anal beads. She pulled the beads out in one swift motion and he groaned low in pleasure. Tenten got his collar off then the restraints. He hummed, pouting then gasped when she pushed a medium butt plug up his ass.

"Can you handle that while we do a bit of shopping?" Tenten asked.

"That and more, if you wish, Mistress," Neji said.

Tenten grinned. She quickly clamped his nipples then put on his cock ring. Neji got dressed calmly as Tenten pulled a lose pair of pants over the skirt and a black sleeveless shirt over the corset. Neji chuckled at her as she tied her hair into a low pony tail and he brushed his out before leaving it loose.

The loose Hyuuga robes covered _any_ evidence of anything being on him. His hitai-ate covered his curse seal a moment later. Tenten made sure there were no odd lumps in her pants from the skirt and admired the figure the corset gave her.

"Ready?" Tenten asked.

"Yes, Mistress," Neji purred.

She grinned but walked out of the room with him following. The look on the girls' faces when they entered was priceless. Neji said nothing but did raise his eyebrows at the four.

"See I told you she was busy with Neji," Temari said.

"Hn," Neji said.

"New sex store though, very tempting," Tenten said.

The girls laughed then stopped in awe when Neji gave a nod. Tenten snorted at them before taking Neji's hand in hers and leading him to the door.

"Let's go,"

The Red Light Material had a line of six people when they got to it at half past eleven. Tenten spotted Kiba, Ibiki, and Anko with three civilians. Kiba flushed when he spotted then but Anko and Ibiki smirked. Tenten strode into the slight mob around the front doors and tried to peek inside. The windows had been covered by thick, red curtains so it was a no go.

"Hm, nice boots Tenten," Anko said.

"Thanks," Tenten said.

"You're wearing a corset, aren't you?" Ibiki asked.

Ibiki, Torture Specialist, _flinched_ when Neji glared at him. Tenten smirked. Kiba coughed to hide a laugh but the girls including Anko, giggled.

"Anyway, does anyone know what's inside? I mean, I love Helen's but it's nice to have variety, you know?" Anko questioned.

Everyone shook their heads. Neji scoffed and Tenten smirked when the veins came up across the sides of his face towards his eyes. Neji hummed.

"It seems to be focused more on outfits rather than toys," Neji said. "The basics are there but Helen's has more of a selection toy wise. There's a larger video and book selection here though with a lot more lube and condom flavors."

"Nice," Kiba said.

"What about the bondage section?" Anko asked.

Good. Tenten didn't have to ask and Neji wouldn't look funny randomly mentioning it.

"You _like_ that stuff?" Ino questioned.

"Uh, _yeah._ Do you know how satisfying it is to hog tie a guy and have your way with him?" Anko returned.

Kiba balked but Ibiki laughed. Neji cleared his throat but the blush stayed off his cheeks.

"It's out in the open unlike Helen's store. Takes up the back wall and then some," Neji said.

"Anything interesting?" Anko asked.

Neji raised an eyebrow.

"There's a, well, swing," Neji said.

Silence. Anko cackled. Tenten considered. A _swing_. Huh. They might have to check that out somehow.

From Neji's description this place wouldn't be completely in competition with Helen's. Red Light would be the place to come for lube, condoms, books, maybe bondage gear, and outfits while Helen's would be the place for toys and perhaps the more _interesting_ accessories.

Neji deactivated Byakugan and waited beside her, holding her hand easily. If she hadn't put the butt plug, clamps, and ring on him she would think there was nothing wrong. He was good though. Some embarrassed-looking civilians came a few minutes later then Tsunade made an appearance with Shizune.

Two dozen people had gathered including the Hokage himself, Kakashi. People rolled their eyes but Kakashi said as Hokage he had to inspect new businesses. Some giggled but the shinobi snorted at him. The doors clicked and were thrown open to reveal a tall, slender male with long blonde hair braided neatly over one shoulder. His eyes were bright blue behind black framed glasses and he wore _tight_ leather pants under a long white shirt with no sleeves. Tenten pegged him for a sub.

"Welcome and _come_ on in. For the next two hours, everything is half off," he said.

Tenten grinned and was one of the first people to move. Anko, Ibiki, Kakashi, Tsunade, and Shizune were next. Tenten easily lost the girls and pulled Neji towards the back of the store. He followed without question.

The store had deep gray flooring with black accents everywhere. The ceiling was painted deep red and above the racks of toys were black or red curtains. It was sensual but Tenten didn't pay much attention to the decor. She had spotted the swing.

"Hn," Neji said when they got to it.

"Yeah," Tenten mumbled.

The swing attached to a ceiling by one massive ring. Three straps came down from the ring and were kept apart by a metal triangle at the bottom, big enough for two people. There were various rings hanging along the thick straps that could be used to restrain a person. It looked interesting but Tenten couldn't mark up her ceilings _that_ much in her apartment.

They left the swing and walked along the back wall. A lot of the bondage gear could be found at Helen's and Tenten frowned. She did see different restraints and collars but Neji didn't look interested in any of them. She liked letting him pick out his chains. They came across metal bars with cuffs at either end and blinked.

"Spreaders," Neji said.

"Huh. If there's an adjustable one that could be all kinds of fun," Tenten said.

Neji chuckled but nodded. Tenten glanced around his body to see the girls had been distracted by the outfits. Anko and Ibiki were checking out the swing. Kakashi had his nose buried in a book while Tsunade and Shizune were with the other girls. Kiba wandered along the walls and he looked weird without Akamaru at his side.

"Adjustable spreader," Neji said.

He went to bend to pick up the box then stopped with a little gasp. Tenten snorted at him while he flushed and continued his motion, biting his lip until he got the box in his hands and stood back up. Tenten shifted to lean against him and they looked at the box.

"Adjustable metal rods can shrink to six inches and expand out to four feet, wow," Tenten said. "Cuffs can be wrapped around ankles, wrists, biceps, and thighs with twelve buckle holes and an extender buckle for extra length. Cuffs are made from real leather with satin interior, three inches wide with steel buckle claps and eyelets.

"Rods are an inch in diameter and fully adjustable, stainless steel and ultra strong so even the most stubborn slave cannot break free. They lock in place to the specific width. Extra eyelets can be used in conjunction with ropes, chains, and other restraining gear. Life time warranty and there's two of them in here. What do you think?"

She looked up to see Neji had taken his lower lip into his mouth and had a faint blush on his cheeks. Oh yeah, he liked. Tenten grinned and was glad the rod had been shrunk to their six inch long lengths. She tucked the box under Neji's arm and he grinned.

No one had noticed where they were and Tenten almost fell over in her heels when Neji stopped. She didn't reprimand him but followed his gaze. A posture collar sat on the rack in black. It was a chevron type collar with two black chains that hooked to arm cuffs. The chains were twenty-five inches long but Tenten could do lots of interesting stuff with long chains.

"Like?" Tenten asked.

Neji flushed again but nodded. Tenten took the posture collar off the shelf and read over the back. It could fit wrist size up to ten inches and a neck width of eighteen inches. She frowned.

"They come off with Velcro. Let's see if they've got something like this that locks in place," Tenten said.

"Agreed. Velcro would be too easy to get out of," Neji muttered.

They found a posture set that locked in place on both the collar and the cuffs with a single key. There were three keys in the pack in total and Tenten grinned. This set was in black and had a taller collar, more to Neji's tastes. The chains were silver instead of black too which they both loved. And the best part, the cuffs and collar were made of leather with satin interior.

"This is some really high quality stuff," Tenten said.

"Hn, the spreader bars alone are two thousand ryo," Neji said.

Tenten whistled low. The posture collar was a thousand ryo. Tenten spied a posture _corset_ for two thousand ryo, black lace, silver chains, locks, and all. She bit her lip then gestured to it.

"Well damn," Neji muttered.

"Everything is half off," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

"So if we got the bars, the posture collar, and the posture corset it would only be 2,500 instead of 5,000. It's a _steal_ with the quality of this stuff,"

"Agreed,"

Neji put the other small box onto the pile under his arm. They left the bondage section and Tenten noticed Ibiki and Anko had a swing with them. Tenten steered Neji to the register and he nodded. The handsome blond smiled.

"Leaving so soon?" he questioned.

"Nope, just don't want our friends to see what we're buying," Tenten said.

The girls were thoroughly distracted by clothes with Shizune and Tsunade. Kakashi hadn't left the book section and had a stack in his basket. Kiba was studying a dildo with interest but Anko and Ibiki had gotten _too_ close to the bondage section.

The man nodded and rung them up quickly. The amount of ryo was still wince worthy but they both knew these pieces would get a _lot_ of use. Plus hey, life time guarantee if anything broke or didn't work.

"Would you like a member's card for a hundred ryo yearly? It gets you a fifteen percent discount on every purchase, discreet coupons monthly, and customer appreciation days once a month where your discount is twenty-five percent,"

Tenten and Neji exchanged a look. They used her address and Tenten tucked the card into their bag. The card was burgundy with RLM Member in black letters. Inconspicuous. Tenten liked it. They both thanked the man and wandered over to the girls.

"Hey, done all ready?" Ino asked.

"The first bit, yeah," Tenten said.

"As if we would _want_ you to see what we purchased," Neji said with a huff.

Ino snorted at him. Temari rolled her eyes. Tsunade smirked and Sakura pursed her lips to keep from laughing.

"Who put a stick up your ass tonight, Hyuuga?" Ino questioned.

"Tenten," Neji said with a smirk.

Sakura, Shizune, and Tsunade laughed. Hinata fainted. Ino and Temari gaped at him in wonder. Neji kept smirking and Tenten couldn't help but grin. Neji winked at Ino before walking over to the corsets. They spotted a pure black one with d-rings all over it. Oh _that_ would be fun with the posture collar they had just bought. She met Neji's eye and he nodded.

It didn't look weird for Tenten to shuffle through the rack. She found a corset in Neji's size and winced at the two thousand ryo price. The corset was made of black leather though with soft insides and stainless steel d-rings. It also came with a pack of twenty chains paired into different lengths. It was so worth it.

"Yeah, I think that's it for us," Tenten muttered.

"Hn," Neji agreed.

They followed Ino, Sakura, Temari, and Hinata around the store until one in the morning. Their corset was paid for and others began to line up. Tenten waited with Neji outside the store and they were soon joined by the four girls. Anko and Ibiki were still in the store as was Tsunade, Shizune, Kakashi, and Kiba.

"Good haul?" Temari asked.

"Excellent haul," Tenten said.

Neji nodded once in agreement. She noticed he walked a bit stiffly and knew if it wasn't for the cock ring he would have sputtered a while ago. As it was he was breathing a bit quicker than normal and his hand was a bit damp in hers.

"Well, later," Tenten said.

"Aw, you're not coming over to compare outfits?" Ino questioned.

"Nope, besides, I only got the corset," Tenten said.

"And there are better things Tenten and I can do alone, no offense intended," Neji said.

He was going into submissive mode. Temari raised an eyebrow at him. Ino blinked. Hinata flushed and Sakura smirked. Tenten hooked her arm through his and gave the girls a backwards wave as she led Neji towards her place.

Neji's Byakugan activated to make sure no one followed. Tenten wanted to kiss him but it would mean stopping so it could happen. She didn't want to stop now. Neji didn't want to stop now. She would get him off quick for his relief and the fact they would be up in about six hours for training.

They still had to get off, clean up their toys, sleep, shower, eat, and get dressed in that order. No time for the new haul tonight and Tenten felt a little disappointed.

Hopefully they could try out their new toys soon. Tenten couldn't _wait_ to get Neji all trussed up.

* * *

Reviews welcome. Next chapter's going to include some of those new toys Tenten's talking about. ;)


	3. New Toys

**New Toys**

 **Author's note:** Neji's going to be a bit...tied up. ;)

 **WARNING:** Exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji _lives_. They're 20 in this series of...bondage "drabbles."

* * *

Tenten brushed her bangs out of her face and let out a breath. A week. One _whole week_ since they had shopped at RLM midnight sale and she had almost exploded because of the wait. The girls had wanted a ladies' night the night after and Tenten had felt obligated to go. They had dinner, spent some time at a bar then went back to Ino's apartment to talk about sex toys.

Apparently getting vanilla people in on the so-called secret made them become obsessed with toys and lots of different concepts around sex itself. Evidently Tenten had the most experience in the sex toy area so it had been the girls' decision to pick her brain.

The night after, Anko had been invited to join the talk and Tenten spent the entire night trying to be surprised about bondage gear. The night after _that_ , Naruto had wanted to hang out with the guys. Then Tenten had a mission to go on. She had rushed it, not caring, but made it back by two in the afternoon.

A quick message to Neji and he would be joining her at 6PM, after dinner so they didn't have to waste any time. Tenten had spent the afternoon informing the girls to come _nowhere near_ her place. She had convinced Lee (not that it took much) to spend the evening with Guy-sensei. They didn't have to worry about anyone else.

Tenten tugged her leather corset into place then the short leather skirt. Her knee high heels were put into tugged on and she let down her hair before brushing it out and tying it into a single loose bun at the back of her head. Tenten pulled on her belt and considered.

The anal beads, a butt plug, the paddle, and whip were secured to her belt. Tenten put both the posture collar and the posture corset to one side. The spreader bars went beside them and Tenten laid out another leather skirt. The ball gag and the dick gag were put along the edge of the bed with everything else. She turned on both bedside lamps.

Tenten felt chakra in her hallway but smirked. Neji always found a way around her traps. Tenten had enough time to turn off the over head light before he stepped into the room. She grinned when his eyes took in her form from her heels all the way to her eyes, lingering on her eyes before blatantly staring at her breasts then scanning her legs.

The wetness between her legs made Tenten lick her lips. Neji stepped deeper into the room before standing near her dresser. His clothes came off and he folded each piece before placing it on her dresser. His hitai-ate clanked against the wood but he stood naked in front of her within moments.

"Pick," Tenten said and gestured towards the bed.

Neji inclined his head and strode over to the bed. He said nothing as he considered. Tenten wanted to jump for joy when he picked up the skirt and the posture corset. The posture collar was placed on the floor for another time as was the dick gag. Tenten sashayed over to him and Neji smiled.

"May I have my regular collar, Mistress?" Neji asked.

"Of course,"

She released the appropriate seal and held the leather chevron collar in her hands with its leash. She placed it on the bed before pointing to the bed. Neji shifted and kneeled in the middle of it. Tenten grinned before grabbing her brush and a hair tie before joining him on the bed.

He relaxed under her ministrations as she made sure his hair was tangle free before putting it up into a bun at the back of his head. She left his side bangs out of the bun and allowed a few tendrils of hair to escape down his back.

Tenten licked her lips before grabbing up the posture corset. She loosened it a bit before tapping Neji's arms. He lifted his arms straight up and she went around his body to secure the corset with its steel fasteners in the front. Tenten went back around to the strings of the corset in the back.

"Too tight?"

"A little, Mistress,"

Tenten pulled the strings loose and Neji let out the breath he had been holding. Tenten made sure he could breathe properly before tying the string into a bow. She tapped his biceps and he lowered his arms to his hips. Tenten shuffled to the front, this time with both cuffs and kneeled in front of him.

Neji said nothing but kept a small smile on his face when she wrapped the cuffs around his wrists and locked them in place. She took up the leather belt that came with the corset to lock the corset in place as well. Finally, Tenten wrapped the chains coming off the cuffs around Neji's waist so his hand were forced tight against his lower back when she clipped the chains in place on the corset.

"Well?" Tenten asked.

"I like it, Mistress," Neji replied.

She could tell. His cock was deep pink, red at the tip and dripping. The corset ended above the line of his pubic hair but skimmed under his pectorals which left his nipples exposed. The tightness of the corset gave Neji a bit of a curve and Tenten admired it for a long moment. She grinned then collared and leashed him, letting the chain flow down his back.

"Beads or plug?"

"The beads please, Mistress,"

She should have known. Tenten lubed up the anal beads before sticking them into his ass all the way. He tensed when she went to draw his dick back so she patted his shoulder and kept his dick out of the ring at the end of the anal beads. She offered him the ball gag but he shook his head. He wanted it later then. She didn't mind.

Neji nodded when she held up the skirt. It took her a moment to get it around his waist with the leash hanging down and his hands slightly in the way but she managed. Neji didn't remark but he did have a smirk on his face.

"We're going to take a walk. Do you want the paddle or the whip?"

"The paddle please, Mistress,"

Tenten smirked. She got off the bed before snapping her fingers. Neji came off the bed, moving delicately as he did then stood in front of her, white eyes shining, small smile on his face, and long hair trailing along the sides of those sinfully high cheekbones.

The contrast of the black leather corset and skirt against his pale flesh was beautiful and he knew it. She could tell by the way he stood with his chin raised a bit with his chest puffed out like some kind of proud peacock. Tenten took the paddle off her belt and walked around him a few times before coming to a stop at his back. She let her hand trail down his back and he trembled under his hand.

The leash was in her left hand, paddle in her right. She gave him a solid smack to his right butt cheek and Neji jolted forward with a moan of pleasure. He began walking and Tenten smiled as she followed. They left her room within moments and headed towards the sitting area. Tenten got him to do a circle around the room and he obliged happily.

Half way through he had started panting, shoulders shivering with every strike of the paddle against his butt or upper thighs. His hands kept clenching and unclenching at his lower back and he had his head bowed. His shoulders hadn't tensed so Tenten knew he enjoyed this. Still, there would be no harm in checking.

"You okay?"

"May I have release, Mistress?"

She grinned.

"To the couch,"

"Thank you, Mistress,"

She sat on the couch, in the middle of it and spread her legs for him. Neji stood in front of her, blinking, and Tenten smirked at the tilt of his head. She flicked up the front of his skirt with the paddle before grabbing his cock in her free hand.

"Would you like to be inside me?"

"If you want me there then yes, Mistress,"

Tenten pulled a condom out of the top drawer of one of the small end tables beside the couch. She ripped it open using one hand and her teeth. Neji licked his lips and his eyes closed when she slipped the condom over his length.

His hips thrust forward and he let out a low moan of pleasure as she took a few moments to pump his cock in her hand. She let him go but kept the skirt aloft with the paddle. Really she didn't need to as his cock alone kept the skirt up.

"Get in,"

"My pleasure, Mistress,"

He half-knelt between her legs, pushing in with one fluid motion. Tenten gasped and let her head fall back as Neji groaned and shuddered against her. They shifted so she lay against the couch properly with him on top of her and her legs wrapped around his waist, minding his bound hands. It had be an awkward shift because of his bound hands but neither complained. They did chuckle a bit.

Tenten put a hand in his hair and wrapped her other hand around the ring of the anal beads. Neji kissed her, hard, and she kissed back with as much passion. He began to thrust into her and she arched into him, running her hands over Neji's scalp. She hardly remembered to pull the anal beads in and out as Neji moved.

He pushed into her deeply with the right angle to hit her g-spot every time. His strokes were fluid, quick, and satisfying. Tenten couldn't help but moan into his mouth with every shift of his hips. They had broken the kiss and Neji leaned against her chest in full, really having no other choice but used his position to nibble and lick at the sensitive skin of her ear.

His breath was hot over the shell of her left ear and Tenten let little puffs of air escape over his ear and the back of his neck, the way he loved it. Her right hand clenched at the hair at the base of his scalp, pulling gently while she rammed the anal beads in and out of his ass. Neji kept up the smooth motions of his hips for a few more moments but soon his body went wild.

Tenten didn't mind the quick, irregular strokes. She was damned close with all the heat pooling at her groin, sweat dripping down her body, and chest heaving into his. He kept holding on though and Tenten realized she hadn't given him permission to come.

"When you're good," she got out between pants.

Neji nibbled her earlobe to let her know he got the message and kept shoving into her with fever. He lasted perhaps another minute before letting out a short yelp of completion and thrusting a few more times to push her over the edge. She pulled the beads out of his ass and dug her nails into his scalp when she let go, gasping in pleasure and pushing into him as hard as she could.

They quivered against each other in the aftermath, breaths going from ragged pants to light breathing while their hearts went from pounding to gentle beats. Neji lifted his head out of the crook of her neck, using the strength in his abs, back muscles, and butt to move.

"Good?" He asked.

She kissed his lips, nibbling on the lower one for a moment before pushing her tongue into his mouth. Neji hummed into her and his eyes slipped shut. She allowed hers to close as well until they drew apart. She put the anal beads onto the floor then helped him sit on the couch. Neji let out a little breath of thanks.

"So, how do you like this?"

Tenten ran her fingers over the corset around his body. Neji watched her hand for a moment, a little smile curling his lips up. He met her eyes after a moment and he still smiled then nodded.

"I like it a lot," Neji said.

She grinned.

"It's comfortable and I couldn't get out of it if I tried. It's not too hot either like I thought it would be and it's not sticking anywhere funny. I like how it's a kind of chevron pattern too and the fact the chains are longer for other positions.

"The cuffs are comfortable as well but I think there are a few too many eyelets for me. I mean, they can be used for other things but the extra length kind of get in the way. I guess it means I have slender wrists. What do you think?"

Tenten kissed his cheek and he chuckled at her. She was glad he was comfortable in it. For two thousand ryo, he damned well should be comfortable.

"It looks really sexy on you,"

He winked. Tenten smacked him lightly on the upper thigh and he bowed his head once in apology. She kissed the tip of his nose.

"I like it keeps your nipples exposed and you're right, it does mimic the shape of your collar which is awesome. I like the chains too. There are _so_ many ways I can tie you up in that thing it's not even funny."

She pushed him forward a bit and he obliged. Tenten saw what he was saying about the extra length on the straps. There were four and a half inches of leather and eyelet hanging off each of Neji's wrists which he kind of fiddled with. The cuffs did go up to twelve inches and Neji's wrists were seven and a half inches around.

"Yeah, I see what you mean about the extra length. We can't just cut if off though, it would look stupid. It does mean we could put the cuffs higher up on your arms _or_ use them around your ankles."

"Hn,"

Tenten grinned at his _interested_ sound. Tenten chuckled at him. The extra length of the bow had somehow managed to twist around one of his arms so Tenten carefully pulled it out before tucking the extra string into the top of the corset.

"I wondered what that was," Neji said.

Tenten smirked. She got to her feet then bent in front of his face to pick up the anal beads. Neji kissed her right butt cheek and she kept her ass pointed towards him. Neji hummed then kept nipping and licking at her butt cheek. She stood to stop him and smirked when he gave her a pout.

"Come on. I want to try out those spreaders,"

Neji nodded and stood. She grabbed his leash in one hand before tucking the anal beads back into her skirt followed by the paddle. Neji led the way back to the bedroom, skirt fluttering around his hips wonderfully as he moved. Tenten watched with a grin as Neji turned into her room with a little tease of his hips. Oh he knew how to work that pretty body of his.

Tenten pointed to the bed and Neji nodded before getting into a kneeling position in the middle of the bed, a smirk on his face. Tenten got in behind him and took the cuffs off, unclipping them entirely from the corset but leaving the corset on. Neji said nothing as she pushed him down. Neji lie on her bed, legs and arms hanging over the sides.

Tenten got the rope out of their scroll then opened the box for the spreaders. Neji watched her quickly attach the cuffs to the bars. She opened the spreader in her hands to three feet and locked it in place.

"Heavy?" Neji questioned.

"Oddly, not that bad but they're nice and solid," Tenten said.

"Good,"

Tenten attached one to his right ankle, buckled it then got his left ankle into the other cuff. Neji hummed as his legs were forced open. Tenten grinned but flipped his skirt up to fully expose him. Neji flushed but nodded.

Tenten held up the butt plug. His eyes widened, he bit his lip, but he nodded. Tenten lubed up the butt plug and gently worked it into Neji's ass. He groaned as she did, shifting his hips up towards her and closing his eyes. Tenten smiled.

Once it was in she tied the rope around the spreader keeping Neji's leg apart. She tossed the rope under her bed then got around to the other side to gather it. Neji shifted his head to watch as she prepped the other spreader bar until it was extended to three feet. Neji kept his eyes on her as she cuffed it in place over his wrists.

"How are you doing?" Tenten asked.

"I am fine, Mistress," Neji replied with a smile.

"Good. I'm going to wrap this rope around your arm spreader and pull. Tell me if I pull it too much, okay?"

"Okay,"

Tenten wrapped the other end of the rope over the spreader bar and pulled. Neji's body extended, chest puffing up, stomach muscles tightening, thigh muscles going taunt, and shoulder blades tensing.

"Neji?"

"I'm all right,"

Tenten nodded and pulled a little more. Neji let out a breath as Tenten pushed the spreader bar on his wrists down towards the floor. Something cricked and Tenten paused.

"Oh that felt good," Neji purred.

"Was that your back?"

"Apparently I was tense,"

Neji smirked and she rolled her eyes at him. She pulled a bit more and Neji shifted. She paused while he thought about the position. Neji hummed.

"That's enough," Neji said.

Tenten nodded then tied off the rope on the other spreader. Neji lifted his head as she crawled onto the bed. He smiled as she ran her hand over his chest, down the corset, and to his cock to stroke gently. Neji closed his eyes and let his head drop back, groaning as he did.

Tenten put a second condom on him before straddling him in one motion. Neji gasped before smiling at her. Tenten winked.

"Before I start moving, do you want anything else?"

Neji thought about it. Tenten waited.

"The nipple clamps please, Mistress?"

Tenten grinned. She managed to get to the scroll and popped the nipple clamps into her hands. Neji watched, licking his lips, as Tenten clamp his nipples. She put them to medium intensity but he winced.

"Too tight?"

"With my body taunt like this, yes Mistress,"

Tenten loosed the clamps and he nodded. Man he looked good all stretched out like this. She could see every inch of his muscles, the smooth ivory skin of his body, the curve of his chest and waist, and the power behind the muscles of his biceps.

"Could you whip me lightly while you rode me, Mistress?"

Tenten grinned. She nodded and pulled the whip from her belt. Neji licked his lips.

"Anything else?"

"No, Mistress but thank you for asking,"

"You're welcome. Ready?"

"Hell yes, Mistress,"

Tenten chuckled, put her left hand onto his corset to steady her and flashed the whip through the air with a flick of her right wrist. Neji's eyes went wide and he smiled. Tenten gave him a wink then started to move. He groaned and let his head fall back. Tenten let out a gasp but kept her eyes wide.

She had to make sure he didn't get hurt during this and to do that she had to keep an eye on his face and shoulders. Tenten rode him hard, regardless, letting the whip come down across his upper chest, biceps, and against the sides of his thighs. He thrust upwards into her and she bit her lip.

"Come when you need," Tenten got out.

Neji hummed at her and they thrust together hard. She tossed the whip away after another minute and put her other hand onto his chest right above his heart. His heart slammed against his chest and under her hand rapidly. Neji kept moaning and Tenten smiled down at him.

She had to take a deep breath to stop from closing her eyes and pushed harder down onto him. Neji let out a strangle moan and she smiled when he trembled, releasing. Tenten shifted against him a few more times, dancing hard then almost choked on her spit when she inhaled hard and released.

She fell against him and put her head onto his shoulder. Neji turned his head to kiss her cheek as they shivered against each other, coming down from their high together. Neji shifted so Tenten got up. They both shuddered at the motion and she grinned.

"Spreaders?"

Neji nodded.

Tenten slipped upwards and he chuckled at her as she bent over his arms and untied the rope around the spreader. She took off the cuffs then yelped when his hands wrapped around her waist and tossed her properly into bed.

She laughed when he had an issue getting atop her because the spreaders kept him from moving his legs properly. Tenten kept giggling when he huffed before bending and undoing the cuffs around his ankles. The bar was kicked off the bed and Neji grinned before lying a top her in full and kissing her.

She tugged on his nipples by the clamps and his pushed his hips into her firmly. They hurriedly changed the condom again and within seconds he was in her again, pounding solidly into her body as she racked her nails up and down his back. She got a hold of the butt plug a moment later and began moving it inside him.

Neji kissed along her jaw in thanks then started sucking on the side of her neck, low enough the high collar of her shirts would hide it. Tenten sighed happily at his forethought and allowed her eyes to slip shut. They didn't last long. Neji yelled in pleasure and Tenten followed his shout with a scream of her own.

He fell against her but kept his weight from fully crushing her by using his hands to keep him upright. Tenten rubbed his back in thanks and he hummed. He rolled off her after they caught their breath and sat up, mostly on his left hip which put him to her right side and facing her. Tenten grinned.

He kept his upper body up with his left hand, giving a somewhat feminine but still absolutely stunning pose. Tenten watched as Neji took down his hair one-handed, eyes half closed as he did. Once his hair was free he arched forward, running his hand through his hair a few times and purring as he did.

"You're so sexy," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

He smirked. Tenten grinned before sitting up. She reached over his hip to pull out the butt plug and he let her. The skirt came off and he lifted his hips into a sort of side plank so she could get it off completely. The nipple clamps then collar was next but he shook his head when she went to go for the corset.

"You can't keep it on all night,"

"I know. A few more minutes won't hurt,"

He smiled when she nodded. Tenten pushed everything off the bed before pulling off her corset, belt, skirt, and boots. She lay back down and Neji watched her get comfortable in bed. He hadn't moved from the seductive position on his left hip and hand. His head tilted towards her, long hair falling towards her body and she caught the tips of it in her hand to play with it. Neji smiled.

"So, how did you like the spreaders?"

"I liked them. It felt good to be restrained differently. Don't get me wrong, I love the wrist restraints and the corset feels good too but the spreaders were a nice change. It would be interesting to be laying face down with them and you using the whip on me."

Neji shivered at the thought. Tenten grinned at him.

"We'll try that, don't worry,"

Tenten giggled when he nodded happily.

"There are _so_ many ways we can use those too," Neji went on. "You can hook them to the headboard, hang me from the d-ring on your ceiling, hook me into a kneeling position with the wrist ones under my ankles, or restrain me to _anything_ with them. We won't need anything new for a while."

Neji shifted until his elbow and forearm supported him rather than his hand. He kept watching her, eyes bright and lips curved into a smile. Tenten reached up and ran her hand through his hair, stroking his scalp firmly. He sighed joyously into her touch and his eyes half closed.

"Anything you didn't like about tonight's scene?"

Neji opened his eyes a little more and met hers. He shook his head but kept the smile on his face.

"Everything was perfect, Tenten, honestly,"

"Good,"

"It's always perfect with you,"

"Aw, sexy and sweet,"

"Like you,"

"Now you're lathering it on. Come here,"

"Gladly,"

Neji rested his head on her stomach and she stroked his hair. Neji hummed into her, wrapping his arms and legs around her tightly. Tenten chuckled at him but kept petting his hair. She enjoyed ending their scenes as much as he did, maybe a bit more.

After almost ten minutes, Neji yawned. Tenten hated moving him especially when he whined at her but she got the corset off him. She took a minute to turn off both lamps as he yawned again. She lay down at got comfortable. Neji curled back into her body with his head resting against her chest this time and she smirked.

She kept stroking his hair until his breathing evened out and went deep. Even after he fell asleep, she kept stroking his hair. Tenten held her man close and closed her eyes. Jeez he was perfect.

* * *

Tenten woke to find all their toys placed neatly on her dresser and clean. The spreader bars had been pushed to their six inch lengths and the scroll she stored everything in was spread out above their toys. The box they kept the scroll in was open above the scroll.

The smell of egg, miso soup, and other savory scents floated towards her and Tenten grinned. She rolled out of bed and took down what remained of the messy bun, finger brushing her hair as she looked over the toys. Hm, the anal beads were missing. Tenten had a good idea of where those were.

She smirked but sealed away the butt plug, paddle, whip, gags, collar, skirts, corsets, boots, and belt. She had to make new seals for the posture corset, posture collar, and the spreader bars but it took her a moment. She left the scroll and box open on her dresser beside Neji's clothes. Hm, he was undressed still.

Tenten smirked. She donned her robe before stepping out of her bedroom and towards her kitchen.

She found Neji at the stove wearing nothing but her purple apron. His hair had been placed in a messy bun at the top of his head but a few tendrils had escaped and clung to his back. She could see the ring of the anal beads at his ass and smiled as she leaned against the door frame, watching him.

He was making miso soup, rice, omelettes, steamed vegetables, and the oven was on. She smelled fish cakes on the air and had to lick her lips to keep from drooling. Neji made the _best_ fish cakes in the entire world.

"What did I tell you about taking toys?" Tenten asked.

Neji looked at her and raised an eyebrow. He smirked but went back to the various dishes on her stove top. By the looks of things, he was just about done. He was a surprisingly good cook but the mess he left in the kitchen almost wasn't worth it.

Tenten found she didn't mind cleaning up his messes in the kitchen considering the food he made. He had learned to cook from watching his aunts at the Compound then by getting Guy-sensei to help. Tenten seemed to burn things on the outside and have them raw on the inside while Lee over spiced everything. Guy-sensei, one of the best cooks in Konoha, had been happy Neji had a natural affinity for cooking.

Tenten thought Neji was a bit better with some dishes but Guy-sensei had the lead on others. They balanced each other out. Neji hadn't answered her. She didn't mind.

"Neji," Tenten said.

"I couldn't resist, sorry," Neji said.

She snorted at him but walked into the kitchen. Tenten set her table for two as he finished up the meal. He shut off all the burners, took his fish cakes out of the oven (gasping because of the anal beads as he did), and put everything into proper serving dishes. While he did all this, she put on a pot of tea. They brought everything over together and Neji sat, still with the anal beads up his ass and wearing her apron.

She smirked at him but said nothing. They gave out a standard greeting and Tenten happily dug into her fish cake. She groaned in pleasure and ignored Neji's chuckle. He always made two dozen of them, knowing she would eat at least four with every meal.

They were half way through breakfast when someone knocked at the door. Tenten raised her eyebrows as Neji froze. He was gone a moment later, likely pulling out the anal beads as he took off to her bathroom to get his robe. The apron fluttered to the floor and Tenten snorted before hanging it back in place.

Tenten took a fish cake with her to answer the door and opened it to see Ino and Sakura, fully clothed, with bags in their hands.

"What?" Tenten asked.

She didn't care her mouth was half full and fish cake crumbled down her chin. She had been having a _great_ breakfast with Neji which had kind of been ruined.

"Grumpy much," Ino said. "Anyway, there _is_ a festival coming up soon and you did mention something about needing a kimono for it so we brought some of our old ones to help you pick out a style."

Tenten blinked. Judging by the position of the sun it was close to mid-day. Okay, so breakfast was really lunch. She didn't care.

"Right _now?_ " Tenten questioned.

She didn't care it came out in a whine. Sakura rolled her eyes and pushed Tenten's door open. There was no fighting against the pink-haired woman and Tenten sighed. The two came into her sitting area then stared at her kitchen.

The apartment had always been open concept, the hardwood floors of the sitting area melting into the tile of the kitchen while the pale blue of the sitting area walls faded into the white of the kitchen walls. Her normally spotless kitchen with white countertops and white cupboards was a bit messy thanks to Neji.

Bit of spices, vegetables, and crumbs littered her counter. He had managed to drop an egg on the floor and spilled some flour by the fridge. Some of the cupboards had been left half open and a drawer was dangerously close to falling onto the floor.

Neji sat at the table as if he hadn't been the one to make the mess. He simply raised an eyebrow at Ino and Sakura, sitting at the four-seater table Tenten used as a kind of mock separator between her sitting room and kitchen. He wore his robe and had tied back his hair in a low pony tail. A black bandana covered his curse seal but no one mentioned it.

"Uh, afternoon Neji," Ino said.

"Hi Neji," Sakura said.

Both had wide eyes and eyebrows almost at their hairlines, bodies loose and shoulders forward in shock. Neji snorted. Tenten bit into her fish cake.

"Ino, Sakura," Neji returned.

His voice dripped ice at being interrupted. Ino and Sakura shivered and Tenten caught Neji smirk before he hid it with a sip of tea.

"Man, you guys screw like rabbits," Ino said.

"We've only done it once this week because of friends and missions," Tenten said.

"And being walked in on either mid-way through or the morning after is not as entertaining as you two may think," Neji added.

Ino huffed at him. Sakura frowned. Neji went back to his omelette. Tenten finished the fish cake in her hands as her door opened. In came Temari and Hinata, both with bags in their hands to help her select a kimono for the festival. Both stopped, saw the mess of the kitchen then spotted Neji eating breakfast in a robe.

"Hyuuga," Temari said.

"Niisan, how are you?" Hinata asked.

"I was well until everyone decided to walk in during lunch, but thank you for asking Hinata-sama," Neji said.

Hinata flushed. Tenten rolled her eyes at her friends but went back to the table, easily sitting in her chair to finish breakfast. She ignored Ino who rolled her eyes before tossing the bags onto Tenten's couch. Sakura and Temari copied Ino's motions but Hinata gently placed the bags down before joining the other three girls near the kitchen table.

Ino had her arms crossed under her bust and her toe tapping impatiently. Sakura had a little grin on her face while Hinata blushed. Temari looked amused.

"I'm not rushing because you guys want me to," Tenten said.

"And I am not leaving because you are here," Neji added.

"Urg, it's for the festival," Ino protested.

"Which is two weeks away," Neji added.

Ino scowled at him but he glared. She flinched. Temari rolled her eyes and went for a fish cake. She yelped when a senbon speared Tenten's table _deadly_ close to Temari's hand. Temari stared at Tenten in wonder.

"Mine," Tenten said.

Neji smirked. Hinata giggled while Ino, Temari, and Sakura stared at Tenten in awe.

"There's like, twenty of them there," Temari said.

"I've all ready had two," Tenten said while reaching for a third.

"And she will have at least one more after that one then four at dinner. Four for breakfast, lunch, and dinner tomorrow and every day after until they are finished," Neji said.

Ino shook her head.

"Those things are so fattening," Ino said.

"And I train with Lee and Neji which makes me lose something like four thousand calories a day," Tenten remarked.

Ino fell over. Sakura looked down on her with an amused expression on her face. Hinata pursed her lips. Tenten rolled her eyes but nodded. Hinata happily took a fish cake much to Temari's protest.

"She is my cousin," Neji said in the middle of Temari's rant.

"More like sister," Tenten told him.

Neji flushed but did not correct her. Tenten caught Hinata blushing as well which made Sakura giggle. Ino got to her feet then sighed.

"So what, you guys are going to be messing around all day?" Ino asked.

"Well, cleaning the kitchen first, shower then getting dressed, training for a few hours, dinner, and yeah, more sex," Tenten replied.

Hinata nearly died on her fish cake but Temari kept her on this plane. Sakura had gone red. Ino rubbed her forehead in annoyance.

"We could skip the shower and take one after training," Neji suggested.

"Hm, good point," Tenten said. "We tend to get covered in grass stains and dirt during training."

"You mean _you_ get covered in dirt and grass stains,"

"Hey, not my fault I don't have the never-gets-dirty gene,"

"You know I am _perfectly_ capable of getting _dirty_ ,"

Neji said this with a wink. Ino gaped and almost face planted. Sakura went beat red and started giggling. Temari smirked but a blush had come across her cheeks. Hinata sputtered before smacking Neji on the shoulder. He jolted then raised an eyebrow at her. She glared. Neji winced and looked away.

"Anyway, we're busy," Tenten said.

"Aw, come _on_ ," Ino complained while pointing to the couch full of bags.

Neji rebutted by sipping his tea. Tenten munched on her third fish cake, both deadpanning in perfect mimicry of each other. Ino shuddered at the disturbing image.

"But—" Sakura started.

"One _week_ ," Neji broke in.

He emphasized this point by sticking his right hand index finger in the air. He glared and all four gulped. Oh, this was his Scary Glare. Tenten nibbled on her fish cake in hidden joy.

"The first two nights it was you girls keeping her busy from three until almost eleven then the next night Naruto and the guys hijacked me from after lunch until late. _Then_ she had to go on a mission. So _no_ , you do not get to complain when I have not had a full day with my girlfriend to myself in a damned week."

Neji huffed then sipped his tea, still muttering to himself about why in the world he had wanted friends in the first place. Tenten ate her rice and watched as the four flushed. Ino let out a breath which disturbed the bangs in her face then put her hands on her hips.

"Fine, fine, have Tenten to yourself, _Hyuuga_ ," Ino said.

Tenten winced. The way Ino had said his name had meant to be an insult. Hinata raised an eyebrow and frowned. Sakura bit her lip. Temari's eyebrows came up. Neji narrowed his eyes but kept his eyes on his half finished lunch.

"As if you had a choice in the matter," Neji muttered.

Tenten mentally sighed. It was going to be _on_. Hinata sighed. Sakura rolled her eyes. Temari grinned.

"Arrogant ass," Ino said.

She crossed her arms under her bust. Tenten saw Hinata shake her head. Hinata took another fish cake but went to the couch. Sakura and Temari looked to Neji who had gone back to glaring, Sakura biting her lip while Temari smirked.

"Pretentious bitch," Neji said.

Ino snarled. Neji raised an eyebrow in challenge. Tenten saw Hinata gather more bags than she had come with. She stuck the fish cake into her mouth to carry it and headed for the door with an exasperated look on her face. Tenten almost started laughing but kept it back.

Neji usually won these insult fights because he knew where to hit and he jabbed _hard._ Tenten wished Ino wouldn't get into it with Neji but the blond was stubborn.

"Frigid jerk," Ino said.

Temari's smirk got wider and she watched the two with an amused look on her face. Sakura sighed and began rubbing her forehead with one hand while the other rested across her waist. Tenten continued with her lunch, knowing she could do nothing to stop the wreck happening in front of her.

"Vain nitwit," Neji retorted.

"Prude bastard,"

"Tenten can assure you I am not prude, loud mouth gossip monger,"

Ino stomped a foot. Temari backed up half a step. Sakura sighed but spun on her heel to grab more bags and leave. Hinata was all ready gone. Tenten sipped her tea and waited for it to end, hopefully not violently.

"You're unbelievable! You know that right, you egotistical prick?"

Sakura was heading for the door. Temari kept watching.

"At least I do not spend the money I receive on mission on hair supplies, make-up, or clothes, none of which make a lick of a difference,"

Sakura had the door open but winced. Tenten tsked at Neji who calmly took a sip of tea. Temari ran to the couch, grabbed the rest of the bags and headed towards Sakura. Ino growled then her hand came up. Neji caught her by the wrist before she could slap him.

He shifted his head to look up at Ino but didn't say a word, keeping his expression mostly neutral except one eyebrow stayed raised. Ino looked ready to kill but she knew she couldn't do anything to Neji.

"Are you finished?" Neji asked.

Ino sneered but nodded. Neji huffed and let go of her wrist.

"Good. Leave," Neji said.

Ino spun on her heel and stomped towards the door where Sakura and Temari had made an escape a moment before with all the bags. Ino slammed the door behind her. Neji didn't flinch but went back to his meal.

"She started it," Neji said.

"Yeah, yeah,"

"Hn,"

"You _could_ be the bigger person and not say a word back to her,"

"And she could be the bigger person and not start with anything,"

Neji raised his eyebrow at her as Tenten sighed. She shook her head but offered him a little smirk. He was more stubborn than anyone in Konoha and she didn't want to get in a fight with him. Tenten nodded and he frowned. He said nothing and they finished the meal in silence. At least she knew she could melt his frosty attitude in a few minutes.

* * *

"Seriously Tenten, he's such a jerk. I don't know why you love him,"

Tenten said nothing as Ino vented. Two _whole days._ Tenten had got to spend two full days with Neji after Ino had left on the first day. She and Neji had cleaned the kitchen, played around a bit, got dressed, sparred, ate a great meal, had vanilla sex, he made her breakfast and gave her an awesome foot massage, more sparring followed by showering together, dinner in the nude, and finished up with cuddling on the couch.

He had been summoned to the Compound today, likely to talk about marrying some distant relative and Tenten had been cornered by the girls for a day. She didn't mind so much even when they spent the day putting her into different kimonos. Now they were sitting in Ino's room preparing to go out to some club.

"He makes awesome fish cakes and gives the best foot massages," Tenten said.

Sakura laughed. Temari gave her a thumb up while Hinata giggled. Ino stared at her from the mirror.

"He's also really hot and he's got a great dick," Tenten went on.  
Hinata groaned and shook her head. Temari smirked. Sakura flushed while Ino raised an eyebrow at her.

"Plus he cleans up any mess either of us makes, he's smart, has a great butt, and did I mention how good he is with his hands?"

Ino rolled her eyes and muttered something about "long haired assholes" Tenten chose to ignore. Temari pulled on a blue halter dress while Sakura finished with her make-up. Sakura was all ready in a red tube dress while Hinata wore a white knee length dress with thick sleeves. Ino wore a micro mini dress in purple.

Tenten had been forced into a black skirt which hit her mid-thighs and a slinky gold tank top. The girls had forced her to take her hair down then brushed it out, Ino complaining about how Tenten's hair naturally fell into flawless waves while Tenten huffed.

They all stopped in the motions when a knock came to the door. Ino did a quick head count then shrugged.

"Come in," Ino said.

Tenten almost fell off the bed with laughter when Neji strode into the room. Ino almost jabbed herself in the eye with her eyeliner then gaped at Neji. Neji wore _fitted_ black pants, shiny leather dress shoes, and a black silk short sleeved shirt unbuttoned low to expose a tantalizing amount of his chest.

His hair had been set completely free and he wore a bandana, also in black, to cover his curse seal. He also cared a white box in his hands. Neji strode into the room _oozing_ sex appeal: hips wavering wonderfully, hair fluttering around his waist teasingly, and leg muscles almost on full display with how tight his pants were.

Neji put the box down beside Ino and she stared at it. He raised an eyebrow and Ino put down her eyeliner to open the box. She took out a tub with a red lid atop it then opened the lid.

"What am I looking at, Hyuuga?" Ino asked.

"Homemade pudding," Neji said.

Ino stared at him. Neji shrugged elegantly.

"Peace offering," Neji added after a moment.

Ino blinked at him while Tenten beamed. Hinata was grinning while Sakura had sat down on the bed in shock. Temari gaped in wonder.

"You made me chocolate pudding?" Ino questioned suspiciously.

Neji sighed. He swiped a finger through the pudding then sucked the pudding off his finger. Tenten licked her lips at the sight and wished she had brought a back up pair of panties. Ino almost dropped the tub.

"It is not poisoned," Neji said.

He wiped off his finger with a tissue he grabbed from Ino's dresser. Ino watched with wide eyes and her lips parted. Neji tossed the tissue into the garbage and looked at Ino with one eyebrow raised. He huffed.

"I have no intentions of leaving Tenten's side and you happen to be one of her friends. Again: peace offering. We are going to be dealing with each other whether we like it or not so it may as well be on civil terms," Neji said.

Tenten grinned. He hadn't even put an insult in any of his words. Ino smirked then put the pudding onto her dresser. She hugged him and Neji patted her back with one hand with a little frown on his face, not amused.

Ino drew back with a smile on her face. Neji inclined his head to her and turned regally on his heel. He headed towards the door.

"Thanks, and accepted," Ino said.

Neji half turned at the threshold of the doorway then nodded again. He left the room, likely to go hang out with the guys at some fancy club. Ino snorted and shook her head. Tenten smirked when Ino looked at her.

"Did I mention he can be really sweet when he wants to be?"

* * *

Ino's favorite food is pudding, I checked. No, I don't think it makes sense for her character either but whatever. Reviews welcome.


	4. Hyuuga Elders

**Hyuuga Elders**

 **Author's note:** Told you this thing would have a plot...eventually.

 **WARNING:** Exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji _lives_. They're 20 in this series of...bondage "drabbles."

* * *

Tenten couldn't be happier. She lay on her back on her couch with Neji draped on top of her. His head was on her chest, facing the television to watch the movie she had put on, and his right arm played with her hair. The left held hers when it wasn't placing popcorn into either of their mouths.

She had one hand on his lower back and the other running through his hair. They had clothes on but not much: short shorts and a tube top for Tenten, shorts and no shirt for Neji. Both had their hair down, no hitai-ate on their foreheads, and no worries except if they ran out of popcorn.

The movie was good, not too gory or jumpy but a thriller nonetheless. Neji didn't like slasher flicks but Tenten liked to make fun of them. Neji enjoyed poking fun at romance movies while Tenten napped during them. They both enjoyed comedies and action movies.

"He's gunna die," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

"Wanna bet he gets decapitated?"

"No because that's the killer's MO. Why would I bet against something established?"

"Yeah, yeah,"

Tenten smirked when he snorted and snuggled into her, shifting his hips nicely and rubbing his head against her breasts. Neji grabbed a handful of popcorn and offered her some. She took it out of his hand with her mouth until she had enough. He popped the rest of the kernels into his mouth, crunching quietly.

The man was decapitated two scenes later.

"Jugular blood would never flow like that," Neji said.

"I know, right? It's like it's a freaking waterfall. The human body doesn't even hold that much blood, jeez,"

"Producers should honestly put a chunin on their payrolls to fix mistakes like these,"

"I would _love_ doing that job,"

"You would,"

Neji chuckled at her but she grinned at him. If she could be the chunin in charge of catching movie mistakes then she could tell people they were wrong all day and get to see how movies were made. It would be so awesome.

"It's totally that guy," Tenten said a moment later.

"The killer? Yes, definitely,"

Tenten kissed the top of his head. Neji hummed and rubbed the back of her neck. She massaged his lower back and they watched. They were right in guessing the killer. Tenten fist pumped with a whoop of excitement. Neji snorted at her but said nothing.

The major fight scene happened, the good guy was almost killed but managed to kill the killer. Tenten rolled her eyes at the dramatics and inaccuracies with knives. Neji huffed. The credits started to roll but neither moved.

"Want to put something else in?" Tenten asked.

"Hn,"

Tenten ran her hand through his hair. He didn't want to watch another movie despite the fact there was half a bowl of popcorn to be had. Neji wasn't one for lying still unless it happened after sex. He liked moving about.

"Want to go for a night stroll?" Tenten questioned.

"Hn,"

She chuckled when he rolled off the couch, coming up perfectly on his feet after giving her his excited sound. Neji stretched his arms above his head, right hand holding his left wrist as he did and going up on the balls of his feet, arching back. Tenten heard little cricks along his spine and grinned. Neji settled but rotated his arms a few times before letting them hang at his sides.

He looked back at her with a small smile as she appreciated the way his shorts had come down a little bit during his stretch. His hair was a bit tangled down his back which gave him a sort of after-sex look.

"I am going to get a shirt," Neji said.

Tenten sat up as he walked towards her bedroom. She watched his butt move before it disappeared from sight then grinned. The movie was taken out of the VCR and put away before she turned off the television. Tenten put the bowl of popcorn in the kitchen and cleaned up a bit.

Neji came back wearing a white tee shirt over his black shorts, his hair brushed out, and a bandana over his curse seal. He handed Tenten two hair ties and she easily put her hair into her trademark buns. She slipped into a pair of black flip flops while Neji put on his shinobi issue sandals.

They were out the door within moments and she locked it behind her before taking Neji's hand in hers. The night air was warm as they stepped down the dozen steps to the ground level and began walking away from her apartment.

It was a little after nine at night so the sky was dark and the stars were shining brightly, unhindered by any night time clouds. The moon was half full but bright and Tenten peered up at it with a smile on her face.

No civilians were out at this time of night unless they were heading to or from a date. They weren't close to the business area of the village so the air around them was full of crickets, frogs, and other night creatures rather than the sounds of pounding music and laughter. Neji let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her against his body easily.

Tenten grinned and wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. Neji chuckled but said nothing as they strolled through the streets. The night was peaceful and Tenten felt her body relaxing against Neji's as they ambled through the streets at a leisurely pace.

They walked for almost an hour before either spoke and as typical it was Tenten who broke the silence.

"So, the festival is in a week. The girls have roped me in to spending that day with them as I'm sure the guys have roped you into doing the same," Tenten said.

"Hn, Kiba is insisting either Lee or I buy the pre-festival alcoholic beverages since we are of age,"

"Ha, Ino asked me to do the same,"

"You only have to buy for five. I have eight to buy for,"

"Aw, poor baby. Buy a twenty-four pack of beer and call it a night,"

"Hn,"

"It means you each get three,"

Tenten looked up to see Neji nod once. She giggled at him.

"Apparently we are all meeting at Shikamaru's apartment," Neji said.

"Yeah, Temari said we'll meet up with you guys there for like six,"

"Shikamaru is going to get take-out,"

"Temari's in charge of food,"

They snickered at the other couple being the food couple. Tenten much preferred being the booze couple.

"You know we're going to all split up once we leave Shikamaru's place," Tenten said.

"Of course we will. Naruto and Hinata-sama will go off together perhaps with Sasuke and Sakura following. Kiba, Choji, Shino, and Lee will head off on their own, Shikamaru and Temari with Ino and Sai then you and me. Also, I scoped out the perfect rooftop for us to watch the fireworks from. You get a view of the lake as well as the sky without interruption from buildings and it is quite secluded,"

"How sweet,"

"Hn,"

"My kimono is burgundy with big gold flowers all over it and a black obi,"

"I will attempt to find something to match,"

Neji had a thoughtful look on his face when Tenten peeked up at him. She grinned. They kept walking aimlessly but Tenten wasn't concerned. They were shinobi for crying out loud. If they couldn't find the way back to her place after wandering around then they would have to turn in their hitai-ate.

"Do you think it is morbid we celebrate the day the war ended?" Neji questioned.

"No, why do you think it's morbid?"

Neji shrugged.

"Many people still have horrible memories from the war. The festival serves as a reminder of all the bloodshed, death, broken families, and the general mayhem Obito and Madara tried to cause,"

Neji held her a bit closer. He had come close to dying because of the war. Spikes had burst out of the ten tails, aimed for Naruto but Hinata had stepped in the way. Neji had _just_ enough time to get in the way of the spikes and strike out with his Vacuum Palm. Some had gotten through regardless and slammed through the left side of his waist.

Naruto had caught him, calling out for help which was received moments later by Sakura. Obito had made some big speech about Naruto being an idiot for fighting against him since it only made his friends get hurt. Neji's last words on the field had been to tell Naruto to kick Obito's ass or Neji would kick Naruto's ass once he was able to.

"Yeah but it's also a reminder of the fact we won, all Five Nations as one unit. It also marks the day Naruto found out about how Hinata really feels and the day we came out as an official couple. Three years in a week, baby,"

Neji chuckled at her but nodded. Tenten was about to ask where her ring was but decided not to. Hell, Sakura was due to be married in the fall of this year, Ino in the winter, Temari in a few more weeks. Tenten didn't even have a ring on her finger yet.

She knew why though.

Neji had to get permission from the Hyuuga Elders to take a wife. They Elders didn't care how much Neji loved Tenten, how comfortable he felt with her, or how much he loved every aspect of their time together: they wanted his Byakugan in the Main House.

Tenten couldn't offer much in the eyes of the Elders. She had no last name, didn't have a powerful kekkei genkai, was average when it came to chakra and jutsu, had enough money to get by on and keep saved for a rainy day, and had no parents or family.

She was worthless in the Elders' minds.

It didn't matter she could wield the Bashosen and was in possession of the Benihisago and Kokinjo. It didn't matter she could master any weapon and fight on an equal field against Neji, one of the top Hyuuga in the whole clan. It didn't matter Hanabi had come to her for weapons advice and Hinata considered Tenten one of her best friends.

Tenten was a pauper while Neji was royalty.

"So we should celebrate," Neji said.

"Huh? Yeah," Tenten told him.

Neji kissed the top of her head, hearing her thoughts in her words despite the fact she had barely said anything.

"The night after," Neji said.

"Okay,"

"Stop thinking of the Elders,"

"Easier said than done and you know it,"

"Hn,"

They walked for another hour before taking to the rooftops to get back to her apartment. By the time they got back, Tenten felt tired. Neji guided her into the bedroom and pushed her into bed. She watched with a smile as he took off his bandana first. The shirt followed then his shorts. Neji had worn nothing underneath the shorts.

Tenten grinned at him as he slipped into bed beside her, mouth meeting hers in a slow but pleasurable kiss. His deft hands got her naked with her hair down within minutes. Tenten had barely noticed, too concentrated she was on the way he had started moving against her. It took a moment for her to rip open a condom and sheath him but neither minded.

His was inside of her seconds after, pushing into her firmly but unhurried in pace. Tenten arched into him, pulling his hair gently and giving him light taps on the ass. Neji concentrated on darkening the hickey which had almost healed but she merely tilted her head to a side to give him better access.

Neji sped up his thrusts, breath coming out in pants over her neck while his hands ran up and down her body, putting pressure on all the spots she needed. Tenten wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned loud in the room. He chuckled against her neck but she didn't mind.

Within moments his thrusts became frenzied.

He let out a little moan of pleasure as he released. She came a few thrusts later, pulling on his hair and digging her nails into his butt. He didn't mind, simply hovering over her, forehead touching hers as he panted. His eyes were half closed but even so, they glowed brightly because of his particular eye color when the moon happened to be involved.

She brushed back some of the hair in his face and he opened his eyes a little wider to stare into hers as if searching for something. He kissed the tip of her nose before shifting so he lay more to her side then atop her. Tenten smiled at him and returned the nose kiss. Neji chuckled as he curled against her body.

Tenten watched him gain control of his breathing. After a while his eyes slipped shut since she was massaging his scalp. Moments after he closed his eyes his breathing became deep and even as he succumbed to sleep. Tenten watched him sleep for several long minutes.

She wanted to memorize his relaxed face. With the Hyuuga Elders involved, who knew how much more time she had with him?

* * *

Tenten smiled as they strode through the busy streets, her curled up against his side with her head on his shoulder and him with his arm around her waist, light brushing her hip over her burgundy kimono. He had found a men's kimono with a hakama that matched Tenten's burgundy and gold kimono right down to the flowers. His obi was gold but the upper part of his kimono was black. The haori himo stayed in white as did the removable under collar and his juban kimono.

They made an awesome looking couple and Tenten did owe some of it to the girls.

Ino had painted Tenten's nails gold with burgundy tips on all her fingers and toes. Tenten's make-up was light: a bit of gold shadow over her eyelids, a thin bit of liner, mascara, and deep red lipstick, thanks to Temari. Sakura and Hinata had tied Tenten's hair into an elegant mass of curls accented by burgundy and gold hair combs.

Neji probably hadn't had any help from the guys to look as gorgeous as he did. His nails were perfectly neat, filed, and his hands were soft. His hair flowed wonderfully down his back, set free again to flutter lightly behind them. His skin glowed softly in the moonlight and he smelled of the forest.

Silver eyes met hers and she grinned. Neji's lips, full and a soft shade of pink, turned up into the tiniest of smiles. He had put a bandana around his forehead to cover his curse seal but it was gold which made his eyes take on a bit of amber tones, making them softer somehow. Tenten didn't mind one bit.

He bent slightly to kiss her cheek and she giggled at him. Okay, maybe she had bought too many coolers and drank both of hers too quickly. Neji's breath smelled lightly of booze too so she didn't feel worried.

He had taken her advice and bought a twenty-four pack. It meant Neji, Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, Choji, Shino, Sai, and Shikamaru all had three cans of beer running through their systems. Shino's bugs would've diluted it all by now while Shikamaru's family secrets would've sobered him up within an hour.

Kiba could hold his booze so could Choji because of their muscles and size respectively. Sasuke and Naruto were a completely different story. They had been half-tanked when the girls met up with the guys. Sai was a little plastered but hid it well. So did Neji.

He could still walk straight and carry on a pleasant conversation. Hell, she could still hit targets dead center if she wanted. She would rather curl up against Neji and stride through the crowds of people hanging out at booths playing games or eating.

It hadn't taken them long to lose the others. As expected: Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata had gone off together, Kiba, Lee, Choji, and Shino had formed their own group, while Ino, Sai, Shikamaru and Temari formed another. It meant Tenten and Neji made up the smallest group but neither cared.

It meant more privacy and not having to worry about entertaining or competing with another couple.

"Sesame dumplings?" Neji asked.

Tenten followed his eyes to see a stand serving her favorite treat. She nodded and Neji steered them in the proper direction. He bought her four of them and she giggled over the treat. Neji smiled at her but led her away from the crowd so she could navigate the dumplings into her mouth with chopsticks without the worry of elbowing anyone.

She finished too soon but tossed the paper bowl into a garbage can with accuracy that made a few civilians gape at her. Tenten chuckled as Neji smirked.

"The fireworks will be starting soon," Neji said.

"We should get moving then," Tenten told him.

"Shaved ice to go?"

She nodded. He got them into the line which wasn't long. He filled his cone with strawberry while she took all three offered flavors of strawberry, grape, and blueberry. Neji chuckled at her before giving her his cone. She was about to ask why but he scooped her into his arms, bridal carry before leaping onto the rooftops.

Tenten smiled as he ran across the roofs, zori sandals be damned. He did slip a few times, not used to the lack of grip but neither of them fell. Neji landed on a slightly pitched roof and stopped. Tenten noticed he had activated Byakugan to get them to where they were then stared around them.

The lake was a few roofs away but they were on the higher roof, looking down on the body of water the fireworks would come off of. No one was around for miles and Tenten smiled as Neji lightly placed her on her feet. She hummed at the roof then started laughing when Neji brought a small bag out from behind the chimney.

He pulled a blanket out of the bag before flicking it open and lying it on the roof. Tenten beamed as Neji helped her sit which was difficult with two shaved ice cones and in a kimono. Neji took a bottle of whiskey out of his bag and held it up to her. She nodded.

Neji smiled before uncapping the bottle and pouring a good amount over her shaved ice before pouring some onto his. Neji capped the whiskey and took back his shaved ice. Tenten leaned into him as she ate and watched the skies for the warning firework.

The first time they had come to a festival together they had been fourteen. It had been to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Tsunade being Hokage. Tenten had worn a gold kimono with black accents while Neji had looked stunning in the traditional black, white, and deep gray kimono.

Somehow they had gotten away from the rest of the group and Neji had guided her up to a rooftop so they could be alone while watching the fireworks. She had spent most of the fireworks display watching his face and the myriad of colors being reflected in his eyes but he hadn't said a word about it.

He had bought her shaved ice right before the fireworks that time too.

The warning firework went off with a bang which made the roof under them vibrate. Tenten gaped at the flower of red and gold in the air, ignoring the taste of strawberry whiskey on her tongue with undertones of blueberry and grape.

The display began and Tenten watched, hardly eating her shaved ice as the explosions went off in front of her sending rainbows of bright colors through the air. Neji wrapped an arm around her waist at one point to pull her closer to his side and she kissed him on the cheek.

He smelled of forest, strawberries, and whiskey. She lifted one hand and tilted his head towards her to plant a kiss on his lips. He tasted of strawberries and whiskey. Tenten found she liked the taste. Neji half closed his eyes as the kiss deepened and Tenten watched the lights from the fireworks reflect over his white eyes.

His hand moved up from her waist to the back of her head. She dropped her almost finished shaved ice cone to wrap both her hands around his shoulders so she could tangle her fingers in his hair. Neji's other hand came up to stroke her back through the fabric of her kimono.

Their eyes remained half open and on each other's, Tenten watching the fireworks through Neji's white eyes while Neji simply wanted to stay focused on Tenten's eyes. The last firework went off but they continued to kiss, breaking apart to gather air before meeting again in a fiery dance.

Tenten pulled Neji towards her and he hummed into her mouth, lying her down on the blanket he had brought. Tenten pushed her hips into his and Neji nibbled on her lower lip, hands skimming along her back and her breast now. Tenten grabbed his ass through his kimono but kept one hand at the back of his neck to pull and play with his hair.

"Jeez, get a room,"

Tenten followed Neji's gaze to see Ino, Sai, Temari, and Shikamaru staring at them. It had been Ino who had spoken though she was laughing. Temari had a smirk on her face while Shikamaru managed to look bored. Sai had a happy grin on his face and for once it didn't look fake. This was probably because his hand was on Ino's ass.

"What?" Neji asked, recovering from their heated kiss quicker.

It probably helped he could handle three beers and a few shots of whiskey better than she could.

"We were going back to my place and wanted to know if you guys want to come," Shikamaru said.

"Oh they want to come but not in the way we're thinking," Ino said with a giggle.

The blond was plastered. Sai had to hold her steady, one hand around her waist, low on her hip and the other holding a hand. He didn't look like he minded.

"There will be booze," Temari said.

"And food," Sai offered.

"And condoms," Ino got out between chuckles.

Neji hummed but looked to Tenten for her opinion. Tenten had booze, food, and condoms at her place plus they had the benefit of privacy there. But these were their friends and they didn't often get a chance to hang out in a group.

"Everyone else is coming," Shikamaru said.

"Okay, okay, we'll come too," Tenten said.

"Yay," Ino exclaimed.

She tried to jump to show her excitement but almost fell over. Sai caught her and righted her so she kissed him on the cheeks in thanks. Tenten smirked then gasped as Neji drew her into his arms again. She wrapped her arms around his neck which allowed him to drop one hand so he could stuff his blanket into his bag.

Shikamaru was forced to help Neji by Temari but soon they headed towards Shikamaru's apartment. Sai had to carry Ino but Shikamaru didn't offer with Temari. She didn't look like she cared. They landed on Shikamaru's balcony to find Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata waiting.

"Where are Kiba and the rest of the guys?" Temari asked.

"Lee had sake," Naruto said.

"Say no more," Shikamaru muttered.

Tenten glanced up to Neji who shook his head.

"If Shino, Choji, and Kiba cannot handle it then what are we going to do?" Neji questioned her.

"Point," Tenten said.

"Oh-kay, it's really creepy you two can talk without like, talking," Ino said.

Tenten grinned while Neji snorted but stepped inside of Shikamaru's apartment. The place had a large sitting area with a wall separating the kitchen from the sitting area. There were two bedrooms, one for Shikamaru to sleep in and the other to act as a storage area and office. The entire place was still painted white from when the old owner had moved out and the landlord repainted the place.

Shikamaru had brought in three miss matched couches, three big comfortable but worn chairs which clashed further with the couches, a television, and some old side tables. The center table looked newest but was black metal with a glass top which didn't match the two wood side tables.

There were still boxes in one corner waiting to be unpacked even though Shikamaru had been living here for a year. Tenten chuckled when she was dumped into the green chair. Neji settled on the arm rest of it then gave her a look when she stood up. She pointed to the chair. Neji smirked before sitting and she sprawled into his lap.

"Aww," Ino said.

Neji snorted at Ino but did wrap his arms around Tenten's waist as she side-sat on him. Temari and Shikamaru had disappeared in the kitchen. Sasuke sat beside Sakura on the couch, close but not couple-close. Naruto had pulled Hinata into the red chair while Sai pulled Ino into the brown one, both guys mimicking Neji.

"Copy-cats," Neji said.

"Hey, you got the moves," Naruto said.

Neji huffed.

"It disturbs me you would use my moves on my cousin," Neji said.

This made Ino laugh. Sakura giggled while Hinata went bright red along with Naruto.

"You do realize they are having sex?" Sai asked.

"I would rather not think about it," Neji muttered.

Temari came back with bowls of chips, dango, daifuku, kaki no tane mixed with peanuts, and pocky. Shikamaru carried a case of beer with three boxes of coolers balanced on top. Everything was set down on the metal table. Ino stumbled to her feet, almost fell, but Sai caught her. Sakura snorted at her friend but grabbed a cooler and a stick of dango.

Snacks were spread as well as alcohol and the group discussed the festival from their viewpoints. Tenten sipped on her strawberry flavored booze while Neji held her in place with one arm. His other hand held a can of beer while her other hand had wrapped around his neck with her hand resting on his chest. They had hijacked a bowl of plain chips and a hand full of chocolate pocky.

After an hour, Kiba and Choji came in via the balcony holding a snoring Lee between them. Shino strode in behind the three and Tenten kept her laughter to herself. She did catch Neji smirking.

"Fuck he's hard to catch," Kiba said with a sigh.

He spotted them. Tenten grinned. Neji raised his beer in mock salute.

"Where the fuck were you two?" Kiba asked.

Now there were growling tones in Kiba's voice. Everyone else stopped talking to stare at Kiba, Neji, and Tenten. Tenten looked to Neji. He hummed.

"Here," Neji said.

Kiba groaned. Choji sagged. Lee snored.

"No shit, thanks for the lack of help catching your teammate," Kiba said with a snarl.

"You're the one who wasn't watching him." Tenten said.

Kiba huffed. He let go of Lee which made Choji stumble. Choji kept his balance then looked around.

"You can drop him and it will not hurt," Neji said.

Choji gently placed Lee on the floor beside Neji and Tenten's chair. The larger shinobi grabbed two beers, the bowl of barbeque flavored chips, four sticks of dango, and a pack of pocky before sitting on one of the other couches. Kiba snorted at Choji before grabbing two beers and a handful of kaki no tane with peanuts. He sat with Choji.

"How much did he destroy?" Tenten asked.

Shino settled beside Kiba with a beer.

"Two food stalls, put a hole in someone's roof, tore down a bunch of hanging lanterns, four game stalls, and kicked in the fucking wall of a restaurant. Then he went running on the rooftops to the training fields where he promptly tried and fucking succeeded in primary lotus-ing a training pole. I'm not even gunna ask how he pulled it out of the ground first," Kiba said.

Tenten winced. Neji sipped his beer. Everyone else was trying not to laugh while Choji ate with a tired expression on his face and Shino sipped his beer. Kiba shook his head, legs spread out before him and half off the couch from leaning back on it.

"Then he ran around the fields on his hands, kicked down another pole, spotted a training dummy who he thought was some chick hitting on him and starting dancing with it," Kiba went on. "When the fireworks started, he like, stopped in the middle of the fucking field with this dummy in his arms and gaped at the fireworks like the world was ending or something. That was the only reason we caught him."

Silence broken only by Ino's muffled giggling. Sai had his hand over her mouth but Ino didn't seem to mind one bit.

"So why did it take you guys so long to get here?" Sakura ventured.

Kiba snarled. Tenten pursed her lips. Neji sipped his beer.

"Have _you_ ever tried to drag a drunken Lee anywhere?" Kiba asked.

"It is not fun," Neji said.

"Nope," Tenten added. "Normally I lasso him, hog-tie him, and we carry him on my Bo. It's just easier plus if he needs to throw up he's all ready facing the ground. The motion usually puts him to sleep though."

She grinned when Choji, Shino, and Kiba _stared_ at her.

"Either that or I Vacuum Palm him into a solid object which stuns him enough we can get him down and hog-tie him," Neji said.

Tenten nodded. Now everyone was staring at them. Tenten didn't care and knew Neji didn't either.

"Remember the time you Vacuum Palmed him into a lake and he thought he became a fish?"

"Hn, or the time he sang all the way back to the hotel we had been staying at?"

"Oh yeah! Then there was the time he ran through that women's clothing store and came out with bras as streamers, panties on his head, and in a dress."

"The pink one,"

"With the lace trim,"

"Hn,"

Tenten chuckled when she caught everyone gaping at them. Kiba raised his beer can to them as did Choji and Shino.

"You win," Kiba said.

Neji rolled his eyes. Tenten finished her drink and put in on the floor in front of the chair. Woah. According to the count on the floor Neji had drank two beers and she had two coolers. It meant Neji was on his third beer in a little over an hour. How the Hell had that happened?

"Of course we do," Neji told him. "We have had to deal with drunken Lee much too often."

"How _does_ he keep getting his hands on booze?" Sakura asked.

"He usually takes one of our shots thinking it's his," Tenten said. "It never ends well."

"It is why Guy-sensei decided to stop doing a shot of sake in celebration after a mission but there are still missions we go on which include surveillance in a bar," Neji said.

"Like that one where you got drunk at," Tenten said.

Neji huffed. She giggled when he sipped his beer. The others laughed but Kiba had an evil look on his face.

"What _is_ Neji like when he's drunk?" Kiba questioned.

Tenten pretended to think about it while she nibbled on a chip. Neji had taken a stick of pocky from their stash and bit it. She smirked.

"Way too relaxed and weirdly talkative," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

More laughter. They talked about their night and Lee's misadventures until it started to roll onto almost two in the morning. Tenten regretfully detached herself from Neji and he stood. They had finished the chips and pocky somewhere along the line but no one seemed to care. Neji had drunk a total of five beers and she had four coolers. No wonder everything seemed a little blurry.

"Going home for sex?" Ino slurred.

Ino had stacks of booze around her. Tenten giggled. For some reason sex sounded funny but awesome.

"Yep, lots and lots of sex," Tenten said.

Neji snorted but grabbed a can of beer for the road. Tenten smacked his shoulder playfully and he grinned.

"We have to swing by the Compound so I can get clothes for tomorrow," Neji said.

His voice had _just_ started to slur. She grinned. Tipsy, naked Neji was on the menu for tonight and Tenten didn't want to wait for a stupid thing like a change of clothes.

"Or you could just, you know, stay naked," Tenten said.

She flushed when everyone stared at her. Right. She wasn't alone with him. Neji raised an eyebrow but chuckled. He wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her close.

"I would have to go to the Compound eventually," Neji said.

Tenten grinned. Neji kept his eyebrow raised at her.

"Then I'll just strap you down to the bed," Tenten said with a purr in her voice.

Howls of laughter made her jump. Tenten groaned and put her face into Neji's shoulder. She kept forgetting she wasn't alone with Neji.

"Right, well, good night to all of you. Thank you Choji, Kiba, and Shino for dealing with Lee," Neji said.

Good nights came from all around. Tenten giggled when Neji lifted her into his arms. She held onto his beer as he stepped out of the room and onto the balcony. Tenten smiled as he leaped onto a roof then started running. She pouted when he did head towards the Hyuuga Compound.

"You have clothes at my place," Tenten said.

"Lounging clothes, not going out clothes," Neji told her.

She didn't bother to argue the difference simply because she knew him too well. Neji didn't want to be caught in his tee shirts and shorts during the day since he had a reputation to uphold. Really she shouldn't be complaining. He would gather enough clothes to stay a few days which meant she could sleep beside him and wake up to him making breakfast.

Tenten hiccupped when he landed on the ground outside his window. He placed her onto her feet so he could get his window open. Tenten held his beer in one hand as he slipped into his room. She held her other hand over her mouth when he almost fell on his face because of his kimono.

"I might be slightly drunk," Neji whispered.

"No shit," Tenten told him.

He smirked but helped her into his room a moment later. Tenten let out a breath and shut his window behind her. When she turned she gaped. He was taking his clothes off. Tenten dropped his beer then walked up to him.

Neji turned at the thunk of the beer can but before he could speak she planted her lips on his mouth. Neji wrapped his arms around her waist as she tugged his clothing down and off. He didn't seem to care one bit as she stripped him of every bit of fabric including the bandana.

"Happy now?" Neji asked once he was naked.

"You bet. So are you,"

They both looked at his red dripping dick. Tenten giggled and got to her knees in front of him. Neji hummed then gasped when she took the head of his cock into her mouth. Neji let out a little groan when she inhaled his cock and began bobbing her head.

One hand followed her mouth while the other played with his sack, one finger rubbing his tight hole. Neji stumbled back but she shuffled with him until he managed to sit on his bed with his legs spread. Tenten grinned around his cock as he lay back in his bed, one arm draping over his eyes as his other hand rested on her shoulder.

"Shit, shit, shit," Neji hissed.

Tenten kept bobbing, sucking, licking, tonguing his cock while her hand massaged his balls. The hand on his cocked stroked him expertly and Tenten couldn't help but keep the smile on her face as Neji shifted upwards with a rather loud groan.

Tenten giggled when he put his hand over his mouth and his eyes went wide. The hand on her shoulder tightened. Tenten started humming and kept grinning when Neji bucked his hips, muffling his cries with his hand.

He came a moment later. His hot, thick, and tasty seed filled her mouth so she swallowed heavily. Neji let out another groan when he felt her swallowing but she simply sucked him until he went limp. She cleaned the remaining cum off his cock then licked her lips.

Neji lay softly panting across his ruffled bed. He had lifted his head to look at her and Tenten grinned. Neji placed one hand under her chin as he sat up then kissed her. Tenten melted into the kiss and tried to push him back into bed. He didn't go and worse yet he broke the kiss.

"Your place," Neji said before she could protest.

Tenten nodded. Right. Her place. Where all their toys were and Neji could yell as loud as he wanted since she had sound proofed her walls.

Neji got to his feet and walked naked to his closet. Tenten watched with a smile as he pulled on a pair of tight gray boxers. Next were the loose dark gray pants he wore followed by the shirt he had been wearing since the second chunin exams. This one had short sleeves instead of the long flowing sleeves. Neji finished his outfit with a gray flank vest left open and his hitai-ate.

He put a second outfit into a black bag before packing two pairs of black pants, two pairs of tight boxers (one gray and one black), a golden short sleeved button down shirt, and a fitted deep blue dress shirt. He did plan to stay for a few days. Tenten smiled.

Neji packed his brush, hair ties, and a few things from the bathroom before finally stepping into his regular shinobi sandals. He did pack a pair of dress shoes before walking over to the discarded beer can. Tenten giggled at him as he packed the beer into a different pouch on his bag. He took her hand and they slipped out of the door and into the hallway.

"Why aren't we going through the window again?" Tenten asked softly.

"Because I'll fall on my face," Neji told her.

Tenten giggled but continued to follow him through the silent Compound. They had to go into the Main House area of the Compound to get outside and Tenten licked her lips. They were five yards from the final turn which would take them outside when two Hyuuga rounded the corner in front of them.

Tenten stumbled because Neji did. He caught himself with a hand on the wall. Tenten leaned against him and let out a breath. The two Hyuuga stared at them and Tenten saw their expressions go from sleepy to annoyed.

Both Hyuuga were older as their hair had some gray in it and there were wrinkles on their faces. Both were Main House because of their bare foreheads and looked like they had woken up because well, it was going on almost three in the morning and people sometimes liked to get up this early.

Neji bowed low to the two Main House Elders. Tenten followed his lead but looked up at the two through her bangs. The two came closer but did not walk past Neji like they normally did.

"Rise," one said.

Tenten saw Neji lick his lips before he straightened. He kept his eyes towards the ground like a slave and Tenten kept the scowl off her face as she rose. She met the Elders' eyes. They glared at her.

"Neji," the same said.

"Elder," Neji uttered softly.

"What in the world are you doing at this hour?" the Elder questioned.

Tenten watched Neji lick his lips again. He took a light breath but let it out slowly. Even so, Tenten could smell the booze on his breath. She was mostly tanked. The Elders weren't and they scowled.

"Gathering some things before going to Tenten's home," Neji said truthfully.

"Is your room not good enough to sleep off your atrocious behavior?"

Neji frowned but kept his eyes towards the ground. Tenten felt her head clearing as the tension rose in the hallway. Why couldn't Hiashi be up and about at this time? Oh yeah, it was three in the morning. Hiashi had another hour or two to sleep.

"Well?"

"I wish to spend the night with my girlfriend,"

Neji shrugged a shoulder. Tenten smiled. Her smile faded when both Elders snarled. One of them grabbed Neji's collar but he didn't flinch.

"You _will_ stop this unacceptable tryst with this, this, woman," the Elder said.

Neji met the Elder's eyes. The Elder glared. Neji did as well and Tenten felt his hand tighten in hers. Tenten squeezed back.

"No, I will not stop my relationship with Tenten," Neji said.

Tenten gaped. She wanted to hug him. She wanted to tell him to shut up because now was so not the time. They were plastered, it was three in the morning, and there was no one who liked Neji within reach. She also wanted to pull a Lee and go running around the village proclaiming her love.

"You insulate cur,"

Neji was about to retort but the Elder let go of him and shoved Neji back. Tenten went with him and they hit the wall with a thunk, hands coming apart. Before either of them could react, the Elder's hand came up. Tenten didn't recognize the hand sign but she did see Neji's eyes widen. He opened his mouth to protest but something happened.

Really, a lot of something happened at once.

Tenten saw green glowing under Neji's hitai-ate. Instead of whatever he was going to say to the Elder a scream tore through his throat like _nothing_ Tenten had ever heard before. Neji dropped his bag and fell to his knees, hands coming up to clench the sides of his head. Neji's face contorted into one of pain, pure and unadulterated _agony_ , something Tenten had never seen on Neji's face.

He kept _shrieking_ in agony and Tenten could only stare as he began clutching his hands in his scalp, nails digging into his skull, hair tangling around his fingers in knots. He curled forward, bashing his head off the floor in a vain effort to stop the anguish.

Tenten wasn't sure how long she watched Neji suffering, perhaps thirty seconds in total but she could not take it. Tenten reached to the back of her kimono, tucking her hand into her obi and drawing out a small scroll. A poof later and she had her Bo in her hands while the scroll dropped to the floor. In one second, thirty-two seconds after the curse seal was activated, Tenten swung her Bo around.

She smacked it hard into the Elder's wrist. A crack sounded through the hallway but Neji's yells stopped. The Elder she had smacked yelped in pain then went to his knees. The other Elder's Byakugan activated. Tenten heard doors opening but disregarded them. Chakra had started to glow along the other Elder's hands.

Tenten swung her Bo around before she thought.

It slammed into the temple of the other Elder which knocked him flat on his ass. Tenten slid in front of Neji, Bo raised and glaring at the Elder who had activated the curse seal. He scooted backwards on his ass, eyes wide and staring up at her in wonder.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Tenten recognized _that_ voice. She spotted Hiashi walking towards them, hair a mess, robe hastily on and barely tied in place, no shoes on his feet, and a scowl on his face. Other Main House members were in the hallway, eyes wide, and mouths dropped open in shock.

Tenten realized how _bad_ this looked.

She stood above an unconscious Elder and one with a probably broken wrist with her Bo in attack position. Tenten ignored the dryness in her throat but met Hiashi's eyes. She pointed the tip of her Bo at the Elder with the busted wrist. He flinched.

"He activated Neji's curse seal so I uh, stopped him," Tenten said.

Hiashi's eyebrow came up. A few Main House members blinked. Others pursed their lips to stop from laughing.

"This one," Tenten pointed to the unconscious Elder. "Activated Byakugan and tried to attack me so I ah, reacted before thinking about it."

Tenten heard someone snicker. Someone else coughed. Tenten heard Neji whimpering then turned to look down at him. He was still bent forward, panting hard, with his hands clenched in his hair. Tenten bent beside him, Bo flipped upwards in one hand, and put a hand on his back. Instantly he fell into her side with a sigh. Tenten kissed the back of his head and wrapped her arm around him.

Neji placed his head into her lap and she began to pet his hair softly, concentrating on rubbing his scalp. Neji sighed but snuggled deeper into her lap. Tenten looked up at Hiashi who now had a small smile on his face.

"Elder Hibiki, why did you activate my nephew's curse seal?" Hiashi asked.

Hibiki, the one with the busted up wrist, gulped. Hiashi raised an eyebrow. Tenten saw Hanabi come to stand beside her father. The youngest Hyuuga had grown in the past few years to a lovely young woman. She was five feet tall, slender waist, average sized bust and broad hips with slender limps, beautiful dark hair, and the piercing white eyes of her clan.

"He, he," Hibiki tried.

"He asked what Neji and I were doing," Tenten said, pointing her Bo to him again.

Hibiki gulped. Tenten didn't care. The bastard would probably lie.

"Neji said he was getting some things from his room then coming back to my place. This guy asked if Neji's room wasn't good enough to sleep off his "atrocious" behaviour and Neji said again he wanted to spent time with me. Then Hibiki grabbed Neji's collar and told him to stop his relationship with me. Neji said no. Hibiki called him an insolate cur then activated the curse seal," Tenten explained.

Mutters came from the group of Main House members. Tenten saw Hanabi scowling and Hiashi with a neutral expression on his face. Hanabi strode forward with her snarl deepening. Hibiki gulped when Hanabi stood in front of him. She bent until she stood almost nose to nose with him.

"Neji-niisan is one of the strongest members of this clan," Hanabi said. "He saved Hinata-neesan's life during the war along with Naruto-niisan's life. If not for Neji-niisan, we might have _lost_ the war and all been dead.

"Neji-niisan has been under the complete control of the Main House his entire life, doing whatever we ask of him without question without asking for anything for himself. I think it's about time we let him have this _one_ thing. Even if _you_ don't feel like it's a good move, _I am_ the heiress to this family and _my father_ is the Clan Head.

"When you are nothing but worm food, I will allow Neji to marry Tenten if he hasn't all ready. I will break the chains of our archaic traditions to _strengthen_ this clan. Do you want to say anything else?"

Hibiki shook his head. Hanabi straightened and nodded. She turned on her heel, long hair whapping the Elder in the face before striding back towards her father. Hiashi placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"You will ruin this clan," Hibiki spat out.

"Will a child who has the Byakugan with Tenten's fuinjutsu skills be weak?" Hiashi asked.

Tenten had an image of a white-eyed, brown haired set of twin boys running around summoning weapons to fight each other. She gulped back her giggles and lowered her head to hide her blush.

"Ah," Hibiki said.

"Hn," Hiashi muttered.

Tenten almost face-planted with how similar it sounded to Neji's mono-syllable sound. She could even tell Hiashi was amused.

"Tenten," Hiashi said.

Tenten looked up at him. Hiashi had the smallest of smiles on his face.

"Please take my nephew back to your home to rest. He should be able to get to his feet and walk but he will need a lot of support. I hope you do not mind this favor I am asking," Hiashi said.

"Not at all," Tenten said.

Hiashi nodded then turned to the rest of his family. Tenten ignored whatever Hiashi said and shifted upwards. Neji hummed but got up with her, wrapping his arm around her waist and leaning heavily against her. Tenten was forced to use her Bo as a crutch.

One of the Main House members, a younger one, picked up Neji's bag. Another came forward and together they got Neji's bag onto Neji's shoulder. Tenten thanked them both and guided Neji towards the exit.

The younger Main House member followed her to open the front doors. Tenten smiled at him in thanks.

"Please take care of Neji-niisan. He owes me a training session," the boy said.

Tenten kept her chuckle back.

"I'll make sure he's ready to train you soon, okay?" Tenten asked.

The Hyuuga boy smiled, an actual smile, which revealed a missing front tooth. The kid couldn't be any older than six.

"Thank you Tenten-neesan,"

Tenten- _neesan_. Holy crap. Tenten kept the smile on her face and nodded. She heard Neji chuckle softly but pulled him out of the Hyuuga Compound. Tenten looked towards the still dark sky and blinked.

Half past three, if that. The sun wouldn't even be up for another hour or two. Tenten snorted and wrapped her arm around Neji's waist. He kept leaning against her, head down, and body limp. Tenten sighed but smiled.

"Let's get you home," Tenten said.

She met his white eyes. A slow smile came across his face and Neji nodded.

"Home, I like the sound of that,"

Tenten giggled at him and started the trek back home. Yeah, she liked the sound of that too.

* * *

Hey look, no bondage sex for once! Ahaha, sorry, sorry but I figured there needed to be some kind of plot. And before you ask: I have _no idea_ where this is going. I am hoping to end it fairly quickly though.

Reviews welcome. They keep me alive. *noms*


	5. Twin Rising Dragons

**Twin Rising Dragons**

 **Author's Notes:** Hey look, more plot! Also, I'm taking the time to thank my reviewers for the next few moments so there. Why? Because I can, because I want to, and because they keep me going.

Yukiko x Yuli: Yes, yes it is going places. Many places...mwuahaha. Yes, yes there will be children in like five or six more chapters. No worries on updating. As of this writing I've got 26 chapters in total, looking for about 35 and I will be updating once a week unless life messes me up or something.

loveilluminatestheblind: Haha, thanks for loving the sexy times. Those scenes are fun to write. Sweet? I wasn't going for sweet (I'm not even sure what I was going for) but thank you! Hey look, next chapter *winks*

C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only: YES, the support Neji gets from Hanabi and Hiashi is extremely important and will be touched on again as the story progresses. And thank you as well for all your kind words.

avidreaded: Haha, I totally wasn't going for someone reading this because of character interaction. It was more written for the smut but it's morphed into something with plot. You'll see more plot, less smut as the chapters continue. Thank you as well for your kind words.

DavidC20OfficialWriter: Thank you for the congratulations. It makes me smile to know people are enjoying the musings in my head.

 **WARNING:** Exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji _lives_. They're 20 in this series of...bondage "drabbles."

If you're thinking the warning is the same...it is. I'm lazy. ;)

* * *

Tenten ran her hands through Neji's hair as he slept on, oblivious to her actions. She tried not to think about how out of commission he had been the day after the festival. All he had done was lie in her bed all day with his eyes closed along with the blinds. Tenten hadn't minded and had lied with him, petting his hair.

She couldn't help but think of that day last week. She had never heard him yell like that, never seen him express so much pain, and never seen him so weak the next day. He had looked almost as bad as the day after beating Kidomaru or the day after being pierced by the ten tails. She had hoped to never see him so bad off again.

She had no idea the Caged Bird Seal would do so much harm.

Two days after the festival he had still been sluggish. They had spent the day lounging around, did some laps around their training field, ate a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant then came home to watch a movie. He hadn't even been interested in sex until the third day after the festival and even then it had been somewhat short and exceptionally vanilla.

Then he had to go on a mission. He had come back today, come _straight_ to her apartment instead of going to the Compound. So, here she lied where her tired, sweaty, slightly dirty boyfriend lay and wishing she could take away his curse seal.

Neji had a few small scratches along his arms where tree branches had caught him while he ran. His skin was not as soft, a shade or two darker than normal as he had not stopped to bathe while on the five day mission. He stunk a bit too much of sweat and forest but she didn't mind. His had gotten a cut to the upper thigh but it had slit his dark pants and not hit the soft skin underneath. He had twisted his ankle though, she could tell.

Even so he had come in through her front room window while she cleaned up and let out a long breath upon seeing her. She had wrapped him in a hug and he muttered "bed." She had guided him into her room and lay down with him in her arms. He simply put his head on her stomach, curled into her right side and had been asleep for three hours.

Tenten sighed and looked at her ceiling. Shadows played across it as the sun had started to go down. It was almost eight in the evening and neither of them had eaten yet. She didn't even know when or what Neji's last meal would have been. He should eat then take a quick shower but she didn't want to wake him up.

She knew how exhausting missions could be.

So she kept running her hands through his greasy hair. Despite the grime and dirt, Neji's hair was still thick and somewhat soft to the touch. She had unintentionally untangled it completely but knew he wouldn't mind. Tenten let out a breath and looked at him.

He had wrapped his right arm over her hips, fingers clenching her short shorts. His left arm was up, running along her side until his fingers had landed in her hair. He had a loose grip on her unbound hair. Both his legs had tangled around hers but his feet were well beyond hers since he was taller and laying low on her stomach. The top of his head brushed the swell of her breasts and he slept with his head slightly down so she couldn't see the full expression of his face. What she could see told her Neji was completely relaxed, the most relaxed he had been since before leaving on the mission.

She sighed. She had to wake him up to make him eat and shower before going to sleep for the night.

"Neji,"

He made a long humming sound and nuzzled into her while his hands clenched lightly and his hips moved forward. Tenten smiled.

"Neji, wake up, sweetie,"

Neji grumbled something and shook his head lightly. He squeezed her hip and tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her closer and huffed. Tenten giggled.

"I know you're tired but you have to eat something and shower or you're going to be really grumpy tomorrow, come on, sweetie,"

"Hn,"

Neji's "leave me the hell alone" sound. Tenten sighed then started to sit up. Neji whined as he was forced to move. His head landed in her lap but he rolled so the back of it was on her upper thighs and he could look up at her, eyes half closed.

"Hn,"

Neji's "you're mean" sound. Tenten brushed some hair back from his face and he huffed at her, pouting. Tenten bent and kissed his mouth. He hummed into the kiss, one hand coming up to hold the back of her head loosely while the other wrapped around her waist.

"Up,"

"Hn,"

Now he was whining. Tenten shifted and he came with her. She got him off the bed and to his feet. He stood in front of her bed, blinking and slouching. Tenten kissed his cheek before undoing the button over his right shoulder. Neji watched as she pushed his shirt down and off, tossing it towards her half full laundry basket.

He said nothing as she undid his pants. He wore nothing underneath. Tenten kissed his hip and he made a half interested sound before yawning. Tenten added his pants to the laundry basket then took off his hitai-ate. Neji hummed at her as she put his hitai-ate on her night stand.

"Come on,"

She took his hand and guided him out of her bedroom. He followed without complaint, even when she pushed him onto the closed toilet so she could brush his hair. He slumped forward, snoring lightly and she rolled her eyes. Tenten tapped his shoulder and he blinked up at her, bleary eyed.

"Shower, okay? I'm going to make something to eat,"

Neji inclined his head and stood. She made sure he was in the shower with the water running, distracted by the shadow of his body against the sliding glass, before turning and leaving the bathroom. She unpacked his travel bag first, finding his extra outfit equally dirty along with both pairs of dirty underwear.

She put all his dirty clothes into her hamper along with the pillow case he kept on his travel pillow and his sleeping blankets. It filled her hamper. Tenten huffed. Dinner first then she could do a load of laundry.

Tenten left the hamper where it was and paused a moment at her open bathroom door to listen to Neji bathing. He hummed softly while he washed and she smiled. She was in the kitchen moments later.

She made quick work of cutting up green onions, a large onion, and a pound of beef before heating up oil in a pan. The onion finished cooking quickly so she added the beef with some sugar. Tenten started steaming rice as the meat cooked.

She cut up potato, broccoli, asparagus, and snap peas. Another pan was filled with water then set to simmer. Tenten filled her bamboo steamer quickly so the vegetables would be ready right when the gyudon was finished.

Sake, mirin, and soy sauce were added to her pan and she turned down the heat so most of the liquid would simmer away. She beat four eggs before lightly pouring them over the mixture in her pan then covering it.

By this time, Neji was padding into the kitchen wearing a towel around his waist. His pale skin had a pink tinge to it from his hot shower and he had used a second towel to wrap his hair into a turban on the top of his head. Tenten smiled at him and he yawned in response. He wore nothing else but the two towels.

The rice had finished cooking so Tenten distributed it into two bowls, one with a lot more than the other before dumping the cooked contents of the pan over the rice. Neji had sat at the table, forearms over the edge of it and leaning forward. She grinned at him before placing the bigger bowl with the larger serving in front of him. She found her vegetables perfectly steamed and distributed them in two more bowls, a lot more for him, before pouring some water into two glasses and giving him one along with chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu,"

They said it together and dug in. Neji smiled around his chopsticks and she grinned at him. Sure, he was the better cook but she could prepare simple things like gyudon and steamed vegetables.

"Good?" Tenten asked.

"Yes," Neji said.

"Compared to ratio bars," Tenten said.

Neji raised an eyebrow at her but shrugged.

"Compared to what some of the others can cook even with all the proper ingredients and time,"

She smiled. It was a compliment and she gladly took it. Neji continued to eat, pulling down his turban half way through the meal. He did kept the towel over his shoulders, hanging down towards his waist. His hair fell in a tangled mess over his shoulders and back still damp. Tenten couldn't help but watch and grinned when Neji caught her staring.

"I would pleasure you but I am exhausted," Neji said.

"I know and it's okay," Tenten told him.

"Hn,"

At least he agreed with her. The rest of the meal went by in silence. When Neji tried to help her with the dishes she shooed him off to sleep. He made an amused sound at her but went. Tenten washed and dried all her dishes, putting them away before cleaning up her kitchen. She turned off lights as she went towards her room but it was nine at night by the time she checked on Neji.

She smiled at the sight of him lying completely naked on her bed. He had put both his towels into the hamper then rolled the covers down into a big lump at the foot of her bed. It made it easy for them to reach down and pull the covers up if they wanted but it was warm enough they wouldn't need to.

He had stretched out on his side, off center of the bed but leaving her plenty of room to get into bed so he was to her right. His left arm had curled under the pillow while his right arm was bent with the hand flat on the bed and a little under his lips. His right leg was straight, the left bent at the knee and keeping his body propped up so his right side faced the ceiling, allowing her to see every inch of his flesh.

His dick had flopped forward, the tip against her sheets but he was flaccid. His body curved delicately, dipping in at his waist and broadening at his hips in an almost feminine curve. His legs were shapely as well with defined thighs, muscled calves, and delicate ankles. Neji's face was completely relaxed, eyes closed, lips slightly parted as he snuffed softly. Some hair had fallen over his curse seal and his cheek.

Tenten watched him sleeping and knew she had a goofy grin on her face. Her cheeks had heated and she was a bit damp between the legs. Neji was gorgeous, too pretty for words really, and he wanted to be all hers no matter what.

Tenten caught sight of his seal and sighed. She ran a hand through her messy hair and walked towards the bed. Neji had turned off the overhead light but left on a lamp for her. Tenten passed her hamper and stared. Right. Laundry or Neji would have to wear his lounging clothes. He wouldn't mind, really, but Tenten didn't want the sweat to set further in his mission clothes.

She dragged the hamper towards the half room by her bathroom. A washer and dryer were revealed when she opened the door along with a shelf along the top which held her soap, fabric softener, and other laundry supplies. Tenten quickly got the load of darks going before stacking the lights into the hamper.

She gathered more of her white towels from the bathroom then a few of her light dishtowels from the kitchen to make up a useful load. Tenten sighed as she turned off all the lights but the hallway one above her head. She checked in on Neji again and saw he had rolled onto his stomach.

Both hands were under the pillows now and he had snuggled his face into the pillow under him. His long hair splayed across his back, the bed, and down to his pert butt which stuck up towards the ceiling. His right leg was bent and his left was straight. Tenten smiled at him and went back to check on the laundry.

Another ten minutes.

Tenten sighed then sat on the floor beside her half room. She had a small hallway closet perpendicular to the wall she leaned on that held all her home cleaning supplies. The apartment wasn't huge but it was roomy enough for her and Neji.

She blinked at her thoughts.

Her _and_ Neji. She could see him moving in without complaint but she would have to get a wardrobe so he could store his clothes. Her closet and dresser drawers were full of her clothes and other stuff like make-up, weapons, and other various things. They would have to get another book shelf to put near the one in her sitting room so he could bring along all his books. Besides that, they had a big couch, a comfortable chair, a television with movies, and everything else they needed.

Tenten had no qualms about it being all her stuff. Neji wouldn't be allowed to take furniture from the Hyuuga Compound. Hell, Tenten was fairly sure Neji wouldn't be allowed to move _out_ of the Hyuuga Compound.

She rubbed her forehead and stared at the hardwood floor between her feet.

She would be marrying _into_ the Hyuuga clan which meant she would have to move _into_ the Compound, like Sakura would move into the house Sasuke bought, Ino into the apartment Sai lived in and in two weeks, Temari into Shikamaru's place.

She didn't _want_ to move into the Hyuuga Compound, not when there were still asshole Elders who would activate Neji's curse seal when they had the smallest excuse. Not when it would mandatory for their children to have the same curse seal placed on their foreheads. Not when she would be surrounded by clan rules which dictated a person couldn't have their voice go above a certain level no matter what.

Clan decorum, that was what Neji called it. She called it stifling. He agreed with her on this but they both knew there was nothing he could do. At least Hanabi and Hiashi were willing to let Neji marry her. Still. She didn't want to live in that stupid Compound with all those pompous Elders.

Sure, the younger Main House members respected and were in awe of Neji. Anyone twenty-five and older in the Main House hated him. The Branch House members the same age, older, and even some of the younger ones didn't like him much either because he had gained the favor of the clan head and heiress.

Tenten sighed. She got to her feet and checked on the washer. It had finished while she considered. Tenten quickly put the clothes in the dryer then started up the load of whites. She settled on the ground again with her legs up, arms over her knees, and staring at the ground.

She couldn't live in the Compound with Neji. The Hyuuga clan wouldn't let him leave the Compound like Hinata had been able to. Tenten scowled at her thoughts and lifted one hand to rest it against her head.

Well shit.

She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Neji. She wanted to have his kids. She wanted to be there when he came back from missions to take care of him. Hell, she didn't mind doing his laundry or cooking for him which was saying a lot considering her general stance on housewives.

She might not be able to do anything of this because of his last name.

"Stupid,"

Of course she had to fall in love with the one person who was caged by his name. Any other guy from the Konoha Eleven would be happy to have her, to take her into their clan without issues. Any civilian guy would love being her husband. But no, she had to fall for the _one guy_ who was kept in a cage she would have to follow him in if she wanted to stay with him.

And what would she do in that cage?

Beat against the bars, yell, scream, and when she found she couldn't leave: be miserable the rest of her life under the thumb of the Hyuuga. Hiashi and Hanabi could support Neji all they wanted but at least half the clan scorned him which would make _her_ life Hell because she would be married to him. She would grow to hate him because she would be forced to act like the perfect Hyuuga housewife.

She didn't want to hate him. She didn't want to hurt him either. She would _kill_ him if she ended their relationship. Hell, she would die of heartache if she told him they should give up. Tenten heard her dryer ding and got to her feet. She piled the nice clean clothes into the hamper so she could transfer the wet ones into the dryer.

Tenten dumped the still warm dark clothes onto the top of her closed washer so she could fold everything neatly. The first item she picked up was a pair of Neji's mission pants. Tenten held the pants to her chest and sighed.

Tenten shook her head before beginning to fold. She was finished long before the dryer and Tenten sighed. She couldn't put her clothes away in by the light of one lamp. She would do it in the morning, after Neji woke up.

Tenten waited for the dryer to finish, folded the lights then dragged the hamper back into her room. Neji had rolled onto his back, left hand spread along the bed with his hand palm up, the fingers lightly curled but pointed towards her.

His right arm was somewhere under the pillows while his right leg was straight this time, the left bent at the knee with his foot under his right knee. His hair fanned out over the pillows in a mess of dark brown tangles while he breathed deeply with his lips still parted. His dick had flopped between his slightly spread legs and Tenten smiled.

She took off her short shorts and tank top, flinging them both towards the floor in front of her closet. Her bra followed as did her panties. Tenten shut off her light then got into bed and curled up against Neji's left side.

Instantly his left arm came up to pull her close so her front was flush against his side. She put her head on his shoulder, one hand sneaking under his back and the other being placed on his chest above his heart. Her legs wrapped around his and he mumbled two words that made her heart skip a beat:

"Love you,"

Tenten squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears. She clenched her hand into a fist above his heart and squeezed his side in her other hand. Neji's hand clutched her hip and the right came out from under the pillows to hold her left, the one above his heart, in his. Tenten kissed his chest and he made a little sound of happiness.

She couldn't leave him. She couldn't keep him either. Stupid Hyuuga clan.

* * *

"Damn it all,"

Temari grumbled under her breath as Tenten watched. Temari's wedding kimono wasn't fitting properly. This was her last fitting before the wedding too which meant any alterations would be expensive and rushed.

Tenten didn't move her head but did glance at Sakura, Ino, and Hinata out of the corner of her eyes. Sakura bit her lip. Ino had a sly grin on her face. Hinata was blushing. Tenten refrained from bouncing her knee, more because it would jolt her arms which were supporting her head, and waited.

"How in the Hell did I gain so much weight in a month?" Temari asked.

She looked pissed. Tenten wasn't going to answer the question. She would rather live to see another day at least.

"Well, you haven't been training as much," Sakura said.

Temari blew some bangs out of her face. She had let them grow longer over the past three years and now tied her hair into two tails at the top of her head instead of four. Her sandy blonde hair was still spiky though and Tenten knew next to nothing could tame the spikes to make it look like Ino's knee length smooth hair.

"Did you two forget a condom?" Ino questioned.

Temari _glared_. Ino giggled while Sakura gasped. Tenten felt a chakra flare and saw the veins come up around Hinata's eyes. Hinata gasped.

"Temari, ah," Hinata said.

The woman trying to get a new size for Temari's kimono, Temari, Sakura, and Ino all looked to Hinata. Tenten lifted her head out of her hands and curled her fingers around the chair under her.

"You're pregnant," Hinata said.

Temari gaped then put a hand to her belly. Ino fist pumped while Sakura giggled. Tenten grinned.

"At least I won't be going through it alone," Hinata said.

Everyone turned to her while Hinata flushed. Temari started laughing.

"Who else has a baby growing?"

"Not me, at least I don't think so," Ino said.

Hinata confirmed.

"Me neither, er, right?" Sakura asked.

Hinata nodded. They all looked to Tenten. Hinata shook her head. Tenten shrugged.

"How far along am I?" Temari questioned.

She still had a hand on her belly. Tenten let out a breath to stop any tears. They stuck in her throat though and it took two tries to get them down.

"Five or six weeks. I'm about ten weeks," Hinata said.

"That's why you weren't drinking at the festival," Ino said.

Hinata nodded as a blush came up to her cheeks. Temari grinned.

"So our kids will be about a month apart," Temari said.

"Wait, wait, that means you guys are going to be _showing_ at mine and Sakura's weddings," Ino said.

Temari glared at her. Ino started laughing.

"No, no, it's a _good_ thing! I mean, Hinata will be what twenty-two weeks, you'll be eighteen weeks at Sakura's wedding, then at mine Hinata will be about thirty weeks and you'll be twenty-six. It'll be good luck!"

Ino beamed. Temari snorted. Hinata went redder. Tenten sighed but said nothing. All her friends were getting married and having kids yet she couldn't even...no, she wouldn't think about her depressing thoughts from last night.

"So when are you and Neji getting married?"

Tenten didn't know which of her four friends had asked but innately had a feeling it had been Ino. Hinata knew the answer, Temari was smart enough to deduce the answer, Sakura had figured it out and Ino likely had as well. At the moment though, Ino was giddy on wedding news and babies.

Tenten wanted to rip up every kimono in the store. She wished she could shatter every mirror, break every chair, and destroy everything in sight with her weapons. Instead, she plastered a smile on her face and gave a small shrug.

"Don't know,"

It had been said between gritted teeth but her friends didn't comment. Ino had gone beat red in embarrassment which meant she had asked the question. Hinata and Sakura were biting their lips while Temari scowled.

"Uh, anyway, how many more inches does this thing have to come out?" Temari asked.

Tenten put the conversation of wedding kimonos and babies to the back of her mind. She followed her friends out of the wedding shop and to the little cafe they always met at after shopping. Tenten fiddled with the spoon which had come with her tea cup and kept staring into the amber liquid as the other four chatted about, well, something. Tenten hadn't been paying attention for a while.

"You okay?"

Tenten looked up to see Temari staring at her. Ino and Sakura were gone but Hinata sat next to Temari, lip caught between her teeth and a blush on her cheeks. Tenten hadn't even noticed the other two had left.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tenten lied.

"No you're not," Temari said with a snort. "You've been staring at your tea for over two hours saying absolutely nothing and looking like you want to kill something. What's wrong?"

Tenten sighed. She put her elbow on the table then placed her chin in her upraised palm.

"Ino's question," Tenten said.

Temari hummed but nodded. Hinata kept biting at her lip. At least she had broken out of the habit of twirling her fingers around, nope, she started twirling her fingers around the others.

"About marrying Neji," Temari said.

Tenten nodded.

"About marrying the Branch House member of the biggest, richest clan in Konoha who happened to be assholes when it comes to customs and proper brides,"

Tenten inclined her head again.

"About marrying into the strictest clan where you'll have to join your husband in his cage, giving up your freedoms to live with a bunch of jerks for relatives, where your kids might be branded with a seal so half those jerks can keep them in line,"

Tenten blinked away her tears. Temari sighed and swirled her tea in her cup. Hinata let out a little breath but stared at the table, eyes narrowed slightly and brows furrowed.

"So, what do you do?" Temari asked.

"I don't know, got any ideas?" Tenten returned.

Temari sighed and shook her head. Hinata let out a breath.

"I mean, this is even assuming the Elders will allow Neji to marry me. Even if Hiashi and Hanabi vote yes to it, the Elders have to agree as well," Tenten said.

"Really?" Temari questioned.

"Yes," Hinata said. "The Elders are my father and neesan's guides when it comes to running the clan. It is so that one single member does not have all the power. Father and Hanabi-neesan can make up any rule they want but unless they get six of the eleven Elders to agree with them then it is a mote point."

Temari snorted. She finished her tea and placed the cup into the saucer a little harder than needed. Tenten huffed.

"You guys could always elope," Temari said.

Tenten stared at her. Temari smirked then shook her head. Elope. Hm. Sure, Temari might have meant it as a joke but the idea did have some appeal. Tenten didn't want a big fancy wedding. All she needed was Neji to be there with a priest to marry them and a few witnesses to oversea it.

"Yeah, could you imagine the Elders then?" Tenten asked with a little chuckle.

She had to at least pretend she wasn't seriously considering the idea. Hinata shook her head and let out a breath.

"They would activate Neji-niisan's seal the moment they found out. Then, if he didn't die from the pain, they would kick him out of the clan after forcing castration on him to be sure the Byakugan was not spread outside of the clan. He would no longer be allowed to use the Hyuuga name or live in the Compound," Hinata said.

Tenten winced. She could deal with whoever activated the curse seal on Neji by busting a few wrists. She couldn't imagine having to take down most of the clan to stop Neji from being _castrated_.

"Damn that's barbaric," Temari said with a wince.

"It is the Hyuuga way," Hinata said.

"Which makes you glad you're now an Uzumaki," Temari said.

Hinata flushed but nodded. Tenten huffed.

"What makes this worse is I don't have the same kind of pull as Naruto does. I'm a last-nameless kunoichi with no clan to back me up and no dowry to offer. And hey, I'm the chick so no matter what, I'd be marrying _into_ the clan. Even if I was a guy and Neji was a girl I'd be screwed without a family name," Tenten said.

She sighed. Temari put a hand on her shoulder and Tenten gave Temari a weak smile. Hinata sniffled.

"It's not fair," Hinata said. "Neji-niisan has done _everything_ for the Hyuuga. He lost his mother because the Main House medical team would not treat the symptoms Hizashi told them about, dismissing him as being paranoid. Then niisan's father died when he was four. Most of the clan, Main House or Branch House hates him because he's so strong. He almost died to protect me, it's just not fair. He should be allowed to marry you and live outside the Compound."

Tenten huffed and got to her feet. She tossed some ryo onto the counter and looked to the two women.

"But that won't ever happen and we all know it. See you guys later,"

Tenten left before they could speak. She took to the roofs easily and headed towards her apartment where she knew Neji would be lounging. She had woken up before him and put away her clothes, leaving his atop her dresser.

She didn't know when he had woken up. After everything was in place, she had left her home to wander the village until she needed to meet up with the girls. She hated to admit she had been avoiding him but there it was.

They had to talk about their lack of a future. She didn't want to but she couldn't keep pretending everything would be fine. Eventually the Hyuuga Elders would demand Neji marry someone in the Main House. If not, she could marry him but then she would join him in a cage she didn't want to be in.

She hated it.

Tenten landed in front of her door and let out a breath. She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and swallowed down the emotions in her throat before walking into her apartment. She stopped and let the door shut behind her.

Neji wore nothing, absolutely _nothing_ except the small smile on his face. He wasn't even lying on her couch to relax, no; he had been cleaning her house. In the nude. Tenten stared.

"Welcome back," Neji said.

He turned to face her fully and she appreciated his lithe form as he tossed his hair over his shoulder sensually, running his other hand down his chest to his thick, hard, _wet_ cock. He took his cock in one hand and stroked it. Tenten met his eyes and he licked his lips slowly.

Talk about being distracted. Tenten took a deep breath, ignored the heat spreading to her groin, her perked nipples, and the wetness of her panties. She met Neji's eyes.

His expression changed. His slightly raised eyebrows went into neutral position. The sultry smile on his face became a little scowl. His sensual pose went tense. Neji placed his hand over his cock to hide it and tilted his head to one side.

"We need to talk," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

She didn't recognize this sound. Tenten gulped. It wasn't a good sign. Tenten watched as he strode away, heading to her bedroom to get dressed likely. Tenten let out a breath but put on a pot of tea. She got down two tea cups and saucers, setting both on her sitting room table along with the green tea Neji loved.

He came back before the pot had finished boiling, dressed in his dark gray pants, short sleeved white shirt, and gray flank vest. His hitai-ate was on his forehead and he carried his medium sized black mission bag likely with the rest of his clothes in it.

Neji sat on the couch but said nothing. His back was stiff and his chin slightly up while his hands clenched at his knees. The tea pot whistling made her look away from Neji and Tenten let out a little breath. She walked towards her couch, turning off her stove, and poured the hot water into the cups for their tea.

Neji said nothing as she placed the tea pot onto the cozy she kept on the sitting room table for this exact situation. Neji shifted his head and met her eyes. She stared into the white eyes and saw the anger, sorrow, confusion, and heartache there. Fuck. He all ready knew what she wanted to discuss.

"Neji, I, we," Tenten tried.

He raised an eyebrow at her. Of course he wanted her to say the words. He never assumed anything even if he all ready knew what was coming. Tenten sighed.

"The Elders won't let us get married and even if they do we'd have to live in the Compound and our kids would be branded. I think, I mean, it's probably best if we—"

"No,"

Neji kept his eyes on her as she stared at him. She blinked. He kept his eyebrow raised.

"No?" Tenten asked.

The Hell did he mean no? Was he really going to argue with her about their break up?

"No," Neji repeated.

"What do you mean?"

Neji huffed at her.

"I mean no I am not leaving you. No, I do not care what the Elders think or say or want me to do when it comes to marrying you. No, I will not allow you to share my cage and we will not move into the Compound. No, I will not allow our children to be branded,"

Neji kept his eyes on her and she felt her lips part and her eyes widen. She jolted when Neji shifted so he could face her fully on the couch. She turned instinctually to meet him and he took her hands in his.

"You are my everything, Tenten. My best friend, my teammate, my lover, my Mistress, my _world_ and I will not allow the Hyuuga to take you away from me or to cage you,"

She blinked. She wanted to hug him and cry in his shoulder for how happy his words made her. At the same time she wanted to punch him until he understood how royally screwed they were.

"And how do you plan to keep us together?" Tenten questioned.

Neji smirked.

"If the Elders will not allow me to marry you and live outside the Compound then I will willingly give my eyes to Orochimaru,"

Tenten gaped. She felt her head spinning and was glad she was sitting down.

"But they'll just curse seal you to death before you can even leave,"

He shook his head. Tenten was still reeling.

"No. I am too valuable an asset to them. They will use the curse seal on me, yes, but they will not kill me or render me disabled in any way. They also know even if they manage to knock me down I can escape the Compound at some point. Besides, once a mission comes through for me they will not be able to stand ignoring it as it is Hyuuga pride to serve Konoha,"

He kept smirking. Tenten couldn't believe he had thought this through and it might actually work. Neji had a damned good point.

They Hyuuga wouldn't be able to trap him in the Compound forever. Eventually either by mission or sheer force, Neji would escape. All they would be able to do was kill him which they wouldn't do because it would mean destroying the self-same eyes they wanted in the Main House. It was also mean disobeying their law against serving Konoha to the best of their ability by killing one of their elite jonin. Damn.

"So, when are you planning to threaten them?" Tenten questioned.

Neji smiled. He leaned forward then planted a light kiss on her mouth. Tenten took the kiss and held him in place with a hand for a moment.

"I was going to wait until after hot sex which hopefully might include my collar, wrist cuffs, and the bullet but if you want to go now," Neji said.

Tenten stared at him then started laughing. Sex could wait, especially if this plan actually _worked_. Tenten got to her feet, taking Neji with her. Neji smiled when she fist pumped:

"Let's go get you out of the Compound for good."

* * *

Tenten licked her lips and tried not to faint. Sure, she had been all pumped up about putting Neji's plan into action but now that she was actually _here_ , well, it was an entirely different story.

Neji had learned from his Uncle the Elders, Hiashi, Hanabi, and most of the Main House Hyuuga would be having a meeting today right before dinner to go over some inter-clan rules and update them. Hiashi hadn't _told_ Neji about this meeting, no; Neji had snuck into the Compound before coming to her place to find his Uncle's scheduling notes.

Apparently Neji had been planning this since the day after the festival. They had stopped by his room first and Tenten saw it bare of anything, well, _Neji._ All his books were gone, moved to Lee's place. All his clothes had been moved to Shikamaru's place. The knickknacks, weapons, and other miscellaneous items had been moved to Kiba's.

The bed, empty dresser and closet, empty bathroom, and bare walls made her realize how serious he was about them. It made her heart flutter and her steps light with glee but at the same time she wanted to puke and run away screaming. She figured the latter feelings would leave once he was out of the Compound for good.

"Ready?" Neji questioned.

Tenten jumped. She realized they stood at the corner of a hallway. Around said corner was a meeting room guarded by two bored looking Hyuuga.

Her heart pounded so hard against her chest she was sure everyone in the Compound could hear it. Her body was coated in sweat and she was sure it had soaked through the sides of her qipao dress. Her fishnet stockings were sticking in weird places and she wished she had worn the scrolls she normally kept attached to her obi and around her wrists. No, all she had was the little weapons pouch on her right leg. At least she had the scroll for her Bo in the pouch along with a few for other weapons.

"Not really but let's do it," Tenten said.

Neji snorted but strode around the corner, keeping her hand in his. She wished she wore her gloves still too. Stupid friends and convincing her to change her outfit so drastically.

The two Hyuuga guard stood at attention but didn't stop Neji from walking right up to the screen door and pulling it open. They assumed he was invited to this meeting, being who he was. Oh they would get their butts kicked later.

All conversation stopped. Tenten almost fell on her face when she saw _dozens_ of Hyuuga looking at her, all Main House members and all unfriendly. Neji squeezed her hand. She stiffened her spin, squared her jaw, and raised her chin, narrowed her eyes, and put her free hand on her weapon pouch. Now she knew why Neji had taken her left hand when he liked staying to her right.

The door closed behind him. Neji strode down the aisle made by the Hyuuga Main House members. A low table dominated the wall across from the door they had entered. In the middle on a slightly raised podium of sorts sat Hiashi and Hanabi.

Five Hyuuga Elders, two of which were women sat to Hiashi and Hanabi's left. The six other Elders, only one woman on this side, sat to the right. Tenten noted there were perhaps three other women in the entire room even though two dozen Main House members sat on pillows on the floor facing Hiashi, Hanabi, and the Elder Council.

Patriarchal assholes.

"Nephew, what is the meaning of this interruption?" Hiashi asked.

Neji took a breath. Tenten watched as he met the eyes of every Elder briefly before settling on his uncle's.

"You are all aware I have been in a relationship with Tenten for three years now according to the public. Unofficially we have been together for longer, since we were fifteen. As such, we have the longest relationship of the other Konoha Eleven yet; every other kunoichi in the Konoha Eleven is either married or will be wed before the year is done."

No one spoke. Tenten bit her tongue.

"I do not plan to end my relationship with Tenten; in fact, I plan to make her my wife—"

"That can be arranged," Hiashi broke in.

Tenten blinked. Neji smiled at his Uncle, giving him a small nod.

"Thank you for your blessing on this, Uncle but I did not come here for only that," Neji said.

"What else do you want, boy? We are giving you more than enough by allowing you to marry this poppet," one of the Elders said.

Tenten gritted her teeth so she wouldn't unleash her Bo and show the stupid elder how much of a poppet she wasn't. Was. Whatever.

They all felt Neji's charka flare. Neji took a breath, let it out slowly, but kept the glare in place.

"I do not intend to remain in the Compound," Neji said.

It was done. For a moment the silence in the room made Tenten think she'd gone deaf. Then everyone started talking at once. Hiashi silenced them all by shouting the word and everyone looked to him.

Tenten remembered breathing was important when her head swam. Hiashi's jaw had tensed, his eyes had narrowed, and his shoulders were stiff. Apparently he hadn't considered the fact Neji wouldn't want to remain living in the Compound or subject her to the Hyuuga decorum.

"What do you mean you do not intend to remain in the Compound?" Hiashi questioned.

Neji inclined his head.

"Pardon, I misspoke: Tenten and I do not intend to move into the Compound after our nuptials,"

Tenten kept her laughter down when the Elders gaped at him. Hanabi had a barely there smirk on her face. Hiashi had raised his eyebrows.

"You do not get to decide that," a different Elder said. "She is marrying _into_ the clan which means she lives here with you. No Hyuuga lives off the Compound."

"Hinata-sama lives off the Compound," Neji pointed out.

The Elder smacked the table with his open palm.

"That is different! She was a useless heiress—"

"My sister wasn't and isn't as useless as everyone thinks," Hanabi broke in with a scowl.

The Elder shut up. Neji waited a beat before speaking:

"All my life I have been caged by this clan and I learned not to let it bother me. But Tenten has lived free all her life and I refuse to take away that freedom as much as I refuse to leave her. I refuse to allow any children we have to be caged in the same way, seen as nothing but servants to people who do not care about or respect them.

"I refuse to allow my children or my wife to be held down by the stifling archaic laws of the Hyuuga. I will not watch my wife or children suffer under the Main House or be seen as little more than slaves. I would not be able to look myself in the eye if I allowed it."

Again silence. One of the Elders raised his hand in a seal Tenten remembered but Hiashi caught the movement.

"Do not dare, Elder Hori," Hiashi said.

The venom in Hiashi's voice would beat anything Orochimaru or even Kankuro could cook up. Hori gulped then lowered his hands. Tenten watched Neji lick his lips.

"And why exactly, would we allow you to leave the clan and have children outside of the Hyuuga name?" a different elder asked.

Neji took a deep breath then let it out slowly. Tenten squeezed his hand and his eyes flicked to her a moment, briefly. A small smile appeared on his face for half a second. She bit her tongue. She was his strength as much as he was hers. This made her giddy again but she pushed it down. The worst part was coming now.

"I believe even if I am outside of the Compound it can be worked out so as myself and any children are still part of the clan, if you would have it. But if my request is not met I will gladly walk out of the Compound and promptly hand over my eyes to Orochimaru,"

Dead silence. Even Hiashi looked stunned. Neji used the silence to say the rest of his piece:

"You can activate the curse seal on me to stop me but we all know Tenten will stop whoever does. You can stop her, yes, there are more of you and despite her skill she would eventually be overwhelmed. But, once I regain consciousness you know one way or another I _will_ find my way out of this Compound and to Orochimaru who we all know would _love_ to have a kekkei genkai handed to him.

"You other option is to kill me right now but if you do you will be taking away an elite Byakugan jonin from the Hokage's ranks which defies the laws set in place stating the Hyuuga will serve Konoha with all their strength.

"You have three options: kill me, refuse me and call my bluff which I assure you I would fulfill, or allow me to wed Tenten, live outside the Compound, and allow any child of ours to be free from the curse seal. It is your decision."

No one said a word. Neji bowed, low, and Tenten followed his lead. Tenten wished she had a camera because the picture she got from every stunned quiet Elder would be worth millions. Too bad.

"I will be at home with Tenten. I expect a decision to be reached soon," Neji said.

With this, he turned on his heel. Tenten stayed with him, completely in sync as if they had practiced this, and they walked right out of the room. The two Hyuuga at the door looked at them curiously and Tenten realized they hadn't heard anything.

Neji nodded to both and they walked calmly away from the room. When they made it around the corner, Neji began to run. Tenten easily shifted in her stride, not knowing the range of the curse seal and hoping the Elders and other Main House members would stay shocked enough to not think of using it.

They hit the front area of the Compound still running then took off through the front gates, much to the confusion of the Hyuuga about. They kept speeding away until they hit the training fields when Neji finally stopped.

Tenten looked up at him as he stood there, panting slightly, eyes wide, and lips parted. His lips twitched then he burst out laughing. Tenten smiled then yelped in wonder as he spun her through the air.

They collapsed on the grass a moment later, Neji on his back with Tenten atop him as Neji kept chuckling. Tenten kept her forehead on his hitai-ate as he laughed himself out. He took a deep breath and smiled.

"I did not think I would be able to say all that and leave without someone activating the curse seal," Neji said.

"Oh so you planned on me kicking ass to get us out of there?" Tenten questioned.

"Yes but just enough ass for us to get out of there, not you know, killing my clan. I might hate most of them but, but, I don't know where I was going with that,"

Tenten laughed at him. He grinned and chuckled with her. They stopped laughing and Neji shifted. She moved with him until they were sitting side by side, Neji's left hand in her right. He kept smiling at her.

"So, now what?" Tenten asked.

Neji took a deep breath then reached for something in the pocket of his pants. Tenten tilted her head to a side when he drew out a little blue box then gaped when he opened it one handed to reveal a ring.

"Marry me?"

She stared at the ring surrounded by black velvet. It was twin dragons: one in gold and one in silver with their bodies coiling to form the band while the dragons' heads and one front paw wrapped around a ruby the size of her pinkie fingernail. The gold one had diamonds for eyes while the silver one had black opals for eyes.

It was detailed yet elegant, fancy but flat enough she wouldn't catch it on anything like Hinata and Ino often did with their upraised diamond on a gold band. Hell, it _depicted_ her deadliest technique, the _only_ technique which could keep him at bay and the technique she counted on to win any battle.

"Twin Rising Dragons," Tenten muttered.

"Is that a yes?" Neji questioned.

He had his head tilted to one side, a little smile on his face, damp eyes, and one eyebrow quirked. Tenten burst out laughing then wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Yes, yes, yes, one million times yes!"

Neji started laughing again and she felt tears running down her cheeks from bliss. She pulled back enough so Neji could take the ring out of its box. He put it on her left hand ring finger but held her wrist when she went to hug him again.

"Watch," he said.

He did _something_ to the back of the ring and the dragons _uncoiled_ to reveal an empty space under the ruby. Tenten gasped as it snapped back into place a moment later. She didn't care Neji laughed at her as she held her ring up to her face to find whatever hidden button he had pushed.

"Here, here," Neji said.

He put his thumb over the back of her ring and twisted. The ruby moved. It snapped back into place when he moved his thumb. Tenten grinned. She used her left hand thumb as if spinning her ring and the ruby moved.

"Oh my god! It's beautiful, suited to me, _and_ it's a fucking weapon!"

He kept laughing. Tenten hugged him again, so hard he fell onto his back. She didn't care. She started plastering his face with kisses: his cheeks, the tip of his nose, his chin, jaw line, pushing up his hitai-ate to get to his forehead, his temples, his eyelids then finally his lips.

Neji hummed into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close. She held his face in her hands but knew he didn't mind one stinking bit. They pulled apart because someone was yelling at them. Tenten lifted her head to see the _entire_ Konoha Eleven coming towards them.

"Do you think news travels that quickly?" Neji enquired.

"We haven't been out here _that_ long," Tenten said.

She got to her feet with Neji as they came to a stop in front of them.

"The Hell did you do?" Naruto asked in a shriek.

"How do you mean?" Neji calmly returned.

Tenten would've smacked him but she had a ring on her finger and couldn't stop smiling.

"Hanabi-neesan just called me," Hinata said.

"And we were all meeting to see what we could do to help you two," Choji said.

"Then we find out from Lee, Shikamaru, and Kiba you had _planned_ this," Ino continued.

"Orochimaru, really?" Sasuke questioned.

"Why didn't you tell the rest of us?" Naruto demanded.

Neji huffed.

"I did not even tell Tenten until today. The fewer people who knew, the better," Neji said.

Ino, Temari, and Naruto opened their mouths to argue but Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Look, a ring," Tenten said and held up her left hand.

Silence while they all gaped. Ino broke it first by screaming in joy and grabbing her hand. Sakura, Temari, and Hinata were there a moment later while the guys stared in wonder.

"It's twin dragons," Sakura exclaimed.

"That's a huge ruby," Ino gushed.

"Diamonds _and_ black opal," Temari cooed.

"It's a weapon, isn't it?" Hinata asked.

Tenten grinned then flicked her thumb over the back of her ring. Hinata smiled but the other three groaned and whacked their foreheads with one hand.

"You got her a _weapon?_ " Kiba asked.

"You are _really_ asking me this?" Neji returned.

Tenten started giggling. She yelped when Lee was right there a moment later and holding her hand, the biggest smile on his face.

"It so Youthful," Lee shouted.

He was crying. Tenten groaned. She gasped when she was almost knocked over from the force of Lee's hug. She was dragged a bit then wished she had the air to laugh when Neji was brought into the hug.

"IcannotbelieveyoutwoarefinallygettingmarriedIamsoexcitedandhappyforyouandthisisthebestdayever!"

Tenten squeaked. Lee finally let them go which was great because she had been about to fall over from lack of oxygen.

"What?" Temari questioned in confusion.

Neji rolled his eyes as he straightened his shirt. Tenten grinned at him. He gave her a little smile then turned to Temari as Lee bounced in the spot.

"He said: I cannot believe you two are finally getting married. I am so excited and happy for you and this is the best day ever," Neji translated.

"You have to be around him enough," Tenten added.

This made everyone laugh, including Lee. Lee gaped and Tenten yelped when he grabbed her hand in his and Neji's in his other hand.

"Well crap," Neji muttered.

Yep. This was going to end badly.

"We must tell Guy-sensei," Lee yelled.

Tenten shrieked when she and Neji were pulled away from the rest of their friends as Lee took off running. She almost fell flat on her face but shifted her weight back to dig in her heels. It didn't work too well, even with Neji doing the same. Tenten grabbed the scroll in her weapons pouch then whacked Lee upside the head with her Bo.

He fell. She grunted when he took both her and Neji down with him. Neji grumbled but managed to get to his feet. He helped her up and she grabbed two other scrolls from her weapons pouch as Lee got to his feet.

He turned to her to apologize but caught the look on her face. Stupid Lee and getting grass stains all over her dress on her freaking engagement day! Sure, he could be excited but he had almost dislocated her damned arm! Now he was running away. No way was he getting away with this so easily.

"Twin Rising Dragons!"

* * *

"My precious students!"

Tenten grinned as Guy-sensei held his arms up to hug them. He couldn't get out of his wheel chair so Tenten grabbed Neji's shoulder and pulled her fiancée down to Guy-sensei's level so they could get their hug. Neji came willingly enough.

"Finally! You two deserve this!"

Tenten smiled as Guy-sensei hugged them close, crying as he did, and starting to go on about Youth. He let them go once his speech was done then stared.

"Where is Lee?" Guy-sensei asked.

"Still pulling weapons out of his ass," Neji said.

Tenten pointed out her grass stains when Guy-sensei blinked. Guy-sensei started laughing and Tenten smirked.

"Ah, youth," Guy-sensei said.

Tenten beamed then showed him how awesome her ring really was. Guy-sensei patted Neji on the back while congratulating him on such a perfect ring and Neji smiled, flushing lightly in pride. Guy-sensei became serious after a moment.

"What about your clan?" Guy-sensei questioned.

"I assume Lee told you?" Neji returned.

Guy-sensei nodded. Tenten watched as Neji shrugged.

"We will get their decision soon. Until then, I am remaining with Tenten in the apartment and will hopefully be moving my belongings in," Neji said.

"What hopefully? We'll get you in before tomorrow night," Tenten said.

Neji smiled. Tenten blushed when she realized what she had said. She swatted Neji who laughed. Guy-sensei smiled.

"Go, get started so you can start making me a grandfather and Lee an uncle," Guy-sensei said.

Tenten gaped. If he wasn't in a wheel chair she would Twin Rising Dragon his ass but it would be too cruel. Neji groaned then rubbed his temples. Guy-sensei gave them the Nice Guy Pose. Yeah, this was too much.

Tenten grabbed Neji's hand and walked away from Guy-sensei. Jeez.

"I want lots of grandchildren! At least six! More would be nice! I can teach them all about Youth!"

Tenten heard Neji groan. She kept walking, glaring at anyone who started laughing even though she knew her cheeks were red. They made it out of the care home and onto the street.

"Jeez," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

She giggled at his annoyed but amused sound. She winked when he met her eyes. Oh Hell, she might as well enjoy this. Who knew what the Elders were going to do?

"Let's go get started on those grandkids."

* * *

Haha, Guy wants lots of grandkids. I'm not entirely sure when this went from one-shot BDSM kinky no-plot sex to...well, plot with no sex. I'm just going with it at this point.

As always: reviews welcome.


	6. Baby News

**Baby News**

 **Author's Notes:** Like I said: I've no idea where I'm going with this. I'm just kind of plodding along with it instead of you know, writing my original fiction. Meh.

So I mention the cost of Tenten's ring to be worth a "low C-Rank mission." Those usually run 30,000 ryo which translates to about $4000 USD. Yes, Neji spent around $4000 on Tenten's ring. It's custom made, folks. ;)

Also, for those reading my other stories (Twenty Truths about Team Guy or Firsts) you _may_ notice a certain OC popping up in here.

 **WARNING:** Exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji _lives_. They're 20 in this series of...bondage "drabbles."

* * *

Tenten ran the brush through Neji's hair and he sighed happily, leaning into her touch. It hadn't taken them long to move his belongings into her apartment. She had been about to have wild, kinky sex after leaving Guy-sensei two days ago but Lee had been waiting on her stoop with four boxes.

Every box had been moved in then she and Neji bought a bookshelf and a wardrobe. Both were put together, moved into place but not filled. They had been too tired for sex and simply gone to sleep. Neji had made her breakfast yesterday morning but spent the day unpacking, much to her annoyance.

Today marked the beginning of day three of her and Neji living together. He had made her breakfast again, wearing nothing but a pair of tight black boxer shorts and now she brushed out his hair on their bed. They had no plans and Tenten had a feeling her friends would be leaving them alone today as well so they could be fully situated.

"So, wild kinky sex?" Tenten asked.

"Right now?"

"Why not?"

"Hn,"

She rolled her eyes at his amused sound. Even so, he nodded. Tenten grinned then started braiding his hair. Neji said nothing as she got up to grab a hair tie then tied off the braid. She put her brush back onto her dresser then gave Neji a look.

He chuckled but did not come off the bed. He did take off his boxer shorts and offered them to her by extending a hand. Tenten took his shorts then tossed them aside. Neji raised an eyebrow at her but she crossed her arms under her bust.

"Well?" Tenten questioned.

Neji smirked but shifted until he knelt in the middle of the bed. He even went so far as to pull the braid over his left shoulder and put his arms behind his back. Tenten smirked. She pulled off her tank and felt the cool air over her bare breasts. Her short shorts were kicked off her right ankle. She didn't wear any panties underneath. Neji smiled as she bent to grab their box.

She said nothing as she opened the box then unraveled their scroll. The empty box went onto the dresser and she got onto the bed beside him to run a hand through the hair framing his face. Neji leaned into her touch and she smiled.

"Judging by your position you want your regular arm restraints," Tenten said.

Neji inclined his head. She bit her thumb then put his wrists into the leather cuffs. She pulled the belts into place tightly and Neji thanked her.

"What else?" Tenten questioned.

Neji licked his lips then started flushing. Tenten grinned at him.

"Ah, perhaps you can use the posture collar but cuff the restraints around my ankles so I am forced to bend forward with my butt in the air?"

Tenten stared at him then nodded. She summoned forth the posture collar with its cuffs then clasped the black leather collar in place. She adjusted it so she could slip a finger under it smoothly and he smiled at her. Tenten helped him into position: shoulders down, knees against his chest and ankles hovering around his butt. Tenten rubbed his bare back and he shivered happily.

She cuffed his ankles first, needing to go to the last eyelet to get the cuffs comfortably around his ankles. She had to use one of the longer chains which came with the corset with all the d-rings attached but neither minded. She had picked the four feet chains to attach ankle cuff to collar so Neji could take up a more traditional doggy style position.

"Are you okay?" Tenten asked.

"I'm perfect, Mistress," Neji said.

He still had a bit of a blush on his face but his breathing had sped up. He kept his lips parted and licked them while she watched. His cock was deep pink, dripping, and almost flush against his abs with how excited he was. All of Neji's muscles were tight but not in an uncomfortable way for him.

"I'm guessing you want the whip?" Tenten questioned.

"No, Mistress, the ah, black dildo and the paddle," Neji said.

The _black_ dildo and the paddle, well. Tenten grinned. She summoned both and saw Neji quiver in anticipation. Tenten summoned out her black leather glove and a bottle of lube. Neji would need a lot of lube for the black dildo. She smirked when she caught sight of her engagement ring as she tugged on her leather glove.

She took the black dildo in one hand but couldn't enclose her hand around the shaft. When they had seen this dildo in the store they had both gaped at it in awe for a few moments. Ten inches of insertable length, two and a half inches in diameter, complete with a large set of balls hanging off the end of it and a suction cup so it could be attached to floors, dressers or whatever. The tip looked like a real tip and it had fine details like veins along the length.

Neji had paled upon seeing Tenten reach up to take it off the shelf. Then his cheeks had colored and he licked his lips when they studied it closer. Helen had chuckled at them when they bought it then recommended the butt plug kit to work Neji up to big things up his butt.

Tenten pulled her head out of the past then slicked up her index finger. Neji groaned low in his throat when she rubbed his puckered rectum. Tenten put her left hand on his butt cheek to rub and Neji pushed backwards towards her. He couldn't go far because of the chains and she giggled at him.

"Hey, you wanted it," Tenten said.

"I'm not complaining," Neji said.

Tenten pushed her slick finger into his hole and he gasped, trembling in pleasure. Tenten smiled as she massaged his butt cheek and worked more fingers into his ass. She got all four of her fingers in but kept thrusting in and out a few times to make sure he was nice and loose.

Neji had come completely undone under her: panting thickly, entire body damp with sweat, shivering in adore, and thrusting back into her as much as he could. She kissed his lower back before picking up the huge dildo in her left hand. She put a line of lube onto the first three inches then used her gloved right hand to spread the lube around it.

"Ready?"

"Yes, Mistress,"

Tenten pushed the realistic tip of the massive dildo against Neji's wide hole. She pushed it forward gently, watching Neji's rectum engulf the dildo, sucking it up as if his ass was hungry. Tenten stopped when she got to three inches.

"You okay?"

"Fine, Mistress, more, please,"

Tenten put another line of lube down the next three inches, spread it around with her right hand then pushed the dildo forward at a measured pace. Neji's hand were clenching and unclenching but his shoulders hadn't tensed and he kept making blissful sounds. She stopped at six inches.

"Still good?"

"Yes, more Mistress, _please_ ,"

She had him begging. More lube but this time all the way down to the base where the balls started. She shoved the dildo forward. Neji hummed but she held his butt still when he tried to push back. She didn't need his help in this. Finally, the balls landed against his ass and Neji let out a sigh of joy.

"Good?"

"Yes Mistress, thank you,"

Tenten patted his ass before swatting it with the paddle. Neji yelped, his ass clenched around the dildo and he let out a groan of happiness. She would have to use the purple dildo on herself if they wanted to come at the same time.

"Mistress?"

"Yes?"

"Um, I may have changed my mind,"

Tenten raised her eyebrow at him.

"About the paddle,"

"Oh?"

"I want to pleasure you with my mouth, Mistress,"

Tenten grinned. She tossed the paddle off the bed and summoned her whip. Tenten had to help Neji do a sort of awkward shuffle so she could relax against the pillows and headboard with her pussy in front of his face.

"Anything else before we get going?" Tenten asked.

Neji flushed.

"Ah, the nipple clamps?"

Tenten nodded. It took a bit of careful flexing to get around Neji's body to the scrolls then to clamp his nipples. She put the chain on the clamps then gave him a wink when she took off the black glove and got in proper position. She kept her whip in her right hand then wrapped her left hand ring finger around the chain connecting his nipples.

Neji's cheeks went a deeper shade of pink but he smiled. He kept his lips parted to pant softly and met her eyes. Tenten tugged the chain lightly and he half closed his eyes to moan. Tenten cracked the whip through the air and gasped when Neji shot forward, licking her folds and nudging her clit with his nose.

Tenten kept her eyes open as Neji began to eat her out. She whipped him across the ass, making him shove forward and let out a whine of bliss as his ass clenched around the immense dildo up his ass. Tenten pulled on the chain and he moaned into her clit, making her gasp from the light vibrations.

Tenten almost closed her eyes when he got her clit between his lips and started sucking it, tonguing it and nibbling as much as he could. Tenten whipped him again, forcing him forward into her but Neji didn't mind. He left her clit, pushing his tongue into her as his nose rubbed the nub of flesh shooting pleasure through her body.

Tenten felt sweat sliding down her back; her upraised thighs, and saw it slip between her breasts. She whipped him again which made him hum against her. Tenten pulled the chain again and he quaked in pleasure.

"Come after me," Tenten said between heated breaths.

Neji hummed into her folds and she threw her head back to moan, whipping him as she did. He grunted and she quickly looked at his shoulders. He had tensed but loosened. She might have hit him a bit hard but the way he ate her out told her he was fine. Tenten dropped the whip to grasp the back of his head, kneading the back of his head.

Neji rewarded her by sucking on her clit again, pushing his chin into her folds as he did. Tenten smiled at him with her mouth open. He moved back to her folds, rubbing her clit with his nose and his tongue rammed into her again and again. His nose kept shifting against her clit as his mouth pushed against her lower lips as if they were her upper lips.

Tenten wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and shove hard against him but kept her hips to a low thrust and her eyes open. Damn it was hard! Neji seemed to sense this because he picked up the pace. He probably had to come soon too but he wanted, needed, to get her off first.

Tenten gasped as she came and felt his licking increase. She clenched her hand in his hair but let go of the chain across connecting his nipples before she pulled to hard. Neji began trembling hard, making a sound of release shortly after her. Tenten smiled at the thought of Neji releasing because he had made her come.

They caught their breath together until Neji shifted, showing his discomfort. Tenten hummed before moving out from under him.

"What's bugging you?" Tenten asked.

"The position, sorry Mistress," Neji replied.

Tenten tsked at him.

"Don't apologize. It's a tight position to maintain. There, better?"

"Yes Mistress, thank you,"

She had taken the chains off the cuffs around his ankles which allowed him to stretch out his legs. He sat up delicately, kneeling so the back of his thighs rested on his calves. Neji let out a little breath once he was settled but smiled at her. Tenten ran a hand down his spine until coming to his bound wrists.

She chuckled when he wrapped her hand in his but she let their hands stay together, her left with both of his. She did run her right hand down his chest to his belly button then back up again to give a slight pull on the chain.

"Anything else making you uncomfortable?" Tenten questioned.

"No, but thank you for asking, Mistress,"

Tenten kissed his cheek. He shifted his head so their lips met. She tasted herself on him but didn't mind. She watched as his eyes slipped shut before closing her eyes and sinking into the kiss. She placed her free hand onto his cheek and squeezed the fingers in her hand. Neji hummed into her, tongue flicking into her mouth and devouring her. He was so good with his mouth.

They both froze when a knock came to her door. Tenten pulled back first then frowned. Neji's eyes had gone wide and his cheeks had gone deep pink all the way across his nose. Even so, his Byakugan activated. He groaned.

"It's Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama," Neji said.

His Byakugan deactivated. His uncle and cousin. The Elders.

"Fuck," Tenten said.

Neji nodded in agreement as another knock came.

"Just a minute!"

Tenten hoped the two had heard as she undid the cuffs around Neji's arms. He took off his collar as she worked on the nipple clamps. Neji's hands went to one ankle as hers went to another. She stared at the dildo. If she pulled it out too quick then he wouldn't be walking right for a few days.

"Leave it," Neji said.

"You sure?" Tenten asked.

"No choice," Neji muttered.

Tenten nodded. He came off the bed but gasped. Neji trembled in _pleasure_ before putting both his hands on her dresser to steady himself. Tenten had to help him get his pants on then handed him a shirt before tugging on her shorts and a tank top.

She hated being interrupted during sex, especially during their scenes. Neji needed to have a few minutes to cool down after an intense scene and going from all the pain/pleasure he had _just_ had to pretending nothing was wrong would be tough.

They couldn't tell Hiashi and Hanabi to go away though. The two were bringing news of the Elders decision. Tenten tied up her hair in a loose bun as she walked towards her living room with Neji on her heels, finger combing his hair. He didn't sit on the couch and winced when she realized he would have to _bow_ to his uncle and cousin before sitting down.

Fucking Hell.

Tenten took a deep breath before taking the traps off her front door then unlocking the traditional locks. Hiashi raised an eyebrow at her and Neji's rather disheveled appearance but Hanabi smirked.

"Come in, I'll get some tea started," Tenten said.

"Thank you," Hiashi said.

Neji bowed to them but Tenten hoped she was the only one who caught him biting his lips. He straightened with his neutral mask in place then led his uncle and cousin to the couch. Tenten shut her door and headed to the kitchen. She did glance back when Neji settled on the right side of the couch a bit slower than normal. His cheeks colored slightly but Hiashi was too busy walking around the couch to her bookshelf to notice.

Hanabi had turned to watch her father then shrugged before sitting on the left side of the couch. Tenten concentrated on taking down her tea cups, saucers, and getting a tray together. She had no snack food to offer so opened a package of round crackers and quickly cup up some cheese into squares.

The tea pot whistled so she put everything on her tray before walk into the living room. Hiashi still studied her books while Hanabi had been looking over Neji who stared pointedly towards Tenten. At least he wasn't blushing anymore.

Tenten set the cups out, one facing her chair then began pouring the tea. Hanabi thanked her and Tenten quickly took the seat between Neji and Hanabi before Hiashi could. Hiashi didn't look like he cared when he settled in the chair.

"May I see the ring?" Hiashi asked.

Tenten blinked then felt her cheeks heat. She nodded but leaned over Neji to hold out her hand. Neji rested a hand on her lower back as Hiashi took her left hand lightly in his. A smile came to his face, still small but there. He nodded and she drew back her hand. Hanabi took it and giggled over the ring.

"Neji has been withdrawing an extra thousand or more ryo every month for two years. Now I see where it went," Hiashi said.

Neji had been taking extra money out of his account for two years. Holy crap. They had only been eighteen and it had barely been a month after the war when he would have started.

"Not much more than his regular spending amount but enough I started to get curious," Hiashi said.

He took a cracker and a piece of cheese with a napkin. Hanabi had let go of Tenten's hand to eat some cheese. Neji held his tea cup between his hands, sipping lightly but sitting stiffly. It wasn't just nerves. Having a ten inch dildo up your ass tended to force you upright.

"It was money well spent," Hiashi said.

Tenten nodded. It hit her a moment later _how much_ Neji had spent. An average of a thousand ryo over twenty four months was twenty-four thousand ryo or more if he had drawn extra out of his account in some months. Her ring was _expensive_ , worth a low end C-Rank mission at least. Holy shit.

"Thank you, Hiashi-sama," Neji said.

Hiashi chuckled. He finished his cracker before taking a sip of tea. Tenten watched as the Hyuuga clan head placed his tea cup into one hand, cradling the bottom as his dominate hand held the cup itself. Neji had the same pose going on but Hanabi still snacked on crackers and cheese. Tenten hadn't touched anything.

"The Elders have been speaking about your proposal for the past two days," Hiashi said. "Last night they reached a conclusion and informed me of it before finally retiring to bed. I decided to give you two another night alone before coming over."

How nice. Hiashi let them say good bye before Neji had to go through with his bluff. Tenten put the thought out of her head. She had a feeling if Neji had to start leaving Konoha then Hiashi and Hanabi would be more rushed.

"The Elders have agreed to your proposal," Hiashi said.

Tenten felt her jaw drop and her eyes widen. Her body went slack and she leaned against Neji for support. He had relaxed as much as the dildo up his ass could allow him but showed his shock by simply raising an eyebrow.

"Wait, wait, you mean they'll let Neji live with me outside the Compound, won't brand our kids, and marry me?" Tenten questioned.

She _had_ to be sure. Hiashi smiled and sipped his tea.

"Yes," Hiashi said.

Tenten beamed. She wanted to go running through the streets screaming at the top of her lungs but kept that back. She could marry her man, live outside of the stupid Hyuuga Compound, and make sure her kids weren't slaves. Life was perfect.

"On one condition,"

Shit.

"That any child of yours who manifests Byakugan is tested once per year to make sure they are up to the Hyuuga standard of Main House,"

Tenten wanted to punch something.

"As if _our kids_ aren't going to be up to the Main House standard," Tenten said.

She crossed her arms over her chest and knew she was glaring at Hiashi. He blinked. She flushed when Hiashi smirked in amusement and Hanabi started laughing. Neji hummed at her but sipped his tea with a little smile on his face.

"We accept the condition," Neji said.

"There's also a condition about me not naming any of them heirs but by the time I'm ready to pass up leadership they'll all be dead so, yeah," Hanabi said.

Tenten grinned then offered the teen a high five. Hanabi took it. Hiashi chuckled but inclined his head in agreement with his daughter's words.

"Besides, any Elder who dies will be replaced with someone _sensible_ who doesn't like the curse seal anyway and wants to be rid of it. Though rare, those Main House members _do_ exist," Hanabi said.

Neji snorted but kept his mouth shut and a little smile on his face. Hiashi shrugged.

"Neji's first chunin exam fight against Naruto showed many Hyuuga the error of our ways. Neji would not have almost killed Hinata if he had been treated differently. Besides, Neji has the potential to be clan head if not for the curse seal. We have lost many potential clan heads as such and it shall be no more," Hiashi said.

Tenten kept back her laugh when Neji almost dropped his tea cup. He caught it, jonin that he was, and kept a neutral look on his face. Hiashi ignored the fact Neji had almost spilled his tea but Hanabi chuckled.

"Anyway, we'll let you two get back to your baby-making," Hanabi said.

Tenten felt her entire face go red. Neji groaned in annoyance beside her but bowed his head. Hiashi smirked. He did finish his tea before standing.

"My apologies on the interruption but thank you for the hospitality. Enjoy the rest of your day," Hiashi said.

Hanabi was on her feet a moment later and grinned.

"Yes, sorry and thank you. I expect lots of cousins, Neji-niisan, Tenten-neesan," Hanabi said.

Tenten ducked her head but muttered out something. She looked up through her longer bangs to see the two leave, Hanabi beaming and Hiashi smiling. It took several seconds for Tenten to realize she and Neji had won.

"Holy shit,"

"Hn,"

His agreement sound. Tenten plucked the tea cup out of his hand then hugged him hard. He hugged back with a chuckle, allowing her to bend him into a kiss. They stopped because he gasped and arched forward. Tenten smiled at Neji's reddening cheeks.

"Bet that was tough, sitting there with the dildo up your ass,"

"Hn,"

"Come on, let's get you tied up again and have some fun,"

"Hn,"

* * *

Tenten grinned as she leaned against Neji, wine glass held aloft in one hand as she watched the dancers on the floor in front of them. Temari's wedding had been beautiful and the reception was in full swing. The dinner had been elegant, savory, and Tenten had probably eaten too much but she didn't care.

She wore a short gold dress which skimmed her knees, similar in style to her qipao everyday dress. The gold one didn't have any slits, was lined in burgundy and closed with black clasps. She had kept on her scroll bracelets and wore a pair of strappy flat sandals.

Neji had decided to go with fitted dark pants and a gold button down shirt with short sleeves. He wore a black vest overtop, buttoned up at first. Now the vest was open and he had unbuttoned the top three buttons on his shirt. He wore dress shoes with the ensemble and Tenten loved the fact they matched.

Neji had kept his hair down of course and wore a black bandana over his curse seal. Tenten had curled her hair before slinging it back into a low pony tail with a few wisps hanging out of the tail. Her bangs had been swept to a side and held back with a gold and burgundy hair comb. She had even done her make-up: red lips, gold eye shadow, and red nail polish.

Tenten watched as Naruto spun Hinata around the dance floor. Hinata wasn't showing yet being only three months pregnant but she would start to show a little bump soon. Temari would show a few weeks after but so far, no one knew.

Tenten suspected Hanabi and Hiashi knew because of Byakugan and all but they didn't say a word. Tenten thought a child with Hinata's long dark hair and Naruto's blue eyes would look amazing. So would a kid who had Hinata's eyes and Naruto's hair. It made her think of the fact she and Neji had the same coloured hair though his was a bit darker.

"Too bad," Tenten muttered.

"What?" Neji asked.

She felt her cheeks heat. Stupid wine and her drinking too much of it.

"I was just thinking how awesome Hinata and Naruto's kids would look with their difference in coloring then thought about how we basically have the same coloring minus eyes of course. It's too bad that our kids will look fairly, well, average," Tenten said.

Neji snorted at her and she raised her eyebrow at him.

"You have tanner skin than me. And who says your hazel eyes won't mix with the Byakugan to make them a kind of light gold?"

She blinked then grinned. He had a damned good point. Plus she could do so much if her kids got his perfect hair gene. She kept picturing a little girl running around with a complex hair style, bright almost golden eyes, her tanned skin, and Neji's high cheek bones. She would be so adorable!

"What do you think of the name Hatomi?" Tenten questioned.

"It is a nice name. Why?"

"Well, if we have a girl I think I'd like that name,"

Tenten hadn't considered Neji's reaction. He spun so quick in his chair she almost dropped her wine glass. His Byakugan activated and he blinked. His eyebrows crinkled and he frowned, staring at her. She giggled then kissed the tip of his nose.

"You are not pregnant," Neji said.

"I know. I'm thinking of the future though," Tenten said.

Neji's Byakugan deactivated and he hummed. He relaxed in his chair then wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and grinned.

"If we have a boy," Neji said then stopped.

Tenten loved how his cheeks went pink even now. She grinned.

"We can name him Hizashi," Tenten said.

"Thank you,"

"Not a problem,"

Tenten wrapped her arm around his waist and played with his vest. Neji held her close, sipping his wine as she watched both him and the dancers. She studied his profile: high cheekbones, smooth forehead, long slender nose, full lips, and a strong jaw. It made him look elegant, refined, sexy as hell and powerful all at once.  
Neji's white eyes, made blue, red, and amber because of the lights shining around them, shifted to look at her out of the corner. Tenten giggled at him. A small smile turned up the corner of his lips but his chin did rise a bit as he puffed like some kind of happy peacock.

She really hoped their kids got his features, well not the strong jaw if it was a girl. Poor Hatomi would feel like crap if she had her father's powerful jaw line. Tenten started laughing and Neji looked down at her.

"What?"

"I was thinking how Hatomi would hate having your strong jaw,"

Tenten smiled as he considered her words. He blinked and one eyebrow came up.

"You're drunk, aren't you?"

"Maybe a little,"

Tenten giggled into his chest but he snorted. He patted her back as she cuddled into him, practically sitting on his lap. No one would care though. This was a wedding. People were expected to get drunk.

"Hizashi would be disappointed if he had your height gene," Neji said.

Tenten stared up at him then started laughing when he smiled. Tenten kissed his cheek before placing her ear against his sternum to hear his strong heartbeat.

"Hatomi would hate getting my uncontrollable hair,"

"So would Hizashi,"

"I don't think she would mind my nose though,"

"You have a cute nose,"

"You have a cute everything,"

"Well you have a beautiful everything,"

"Want to go find a closet to make a Hatomi or Hizashi in?"

"Hn,"

His agreement sound. Tenten grinned. She put her wine glass on the table as did Neji and took his hand. No one watched as she led him out of the room. There were no suitable closets as Neji discovered with his Byakugan but the park surrounding the hall was empty and full of big bushes.

Tenten led him away from the sounds of laughter, music, and people. Neji followed until they came to the middle of the park area. They jogged across the open area with its fountain then ducked behind the bushes, Tenten giggling as they went.

She pushed Neji towards the grass and he went without complaint. He had a grin on his face as his hands went under her dress and pulled her panties down. Tenten shifted so they came fully off. Neji tossed her panties somewhere behind him but she didn't care. She would so go commando after this.

It took her a moment to navigate getting his zipper down and his cock out of his boxers. When his solid, soaked length was free, Tenten shifted so she was impaled in one thrust. They both moaned at the action. Neji's hands gripped her waist as she began to dance a top of him.

They didn't last long as the thrill of potentially being caught gave them an adrenaline rush. Tenten gasped first, running her hands over Neji's shirt and pushing firmly against his chest. Neji groaned as he released inside of her, hands tightening on her waist. She fell against him, shivering and he let out a breath before rubbing her back.

"You do realize it might take more than once, correct?" Neji asked.

"Shush, don't ruin my fantasy,"

"Hn,"

Amused sound. She giggled into his chest, drunk on wine, the rush of having sex at a wedding and outdoors, and the fact he was _hers_. Officially, permanently, and forever no matter what anyone said. Tenten shifted until she could kiss him and he kissed back as hard. Their hips started moving again but they didn't last long.

"There, that was twice,"

Her voice had come out light, breathy but she didn't mind. Neji chuckled at her. He held her close before kissing her again but she didn't mind. Tenten loved being snuggled in his arms.

"Okay, okay, but don't you want us to be wed before having a child?" Neji questioned.

"Pft, I have my kick ass ring. That's all that matters,"

Tenten laughed when he did and kissed the tip of his nose. They cuddled until the sound of drunken chuckles floated over to them. It took them seconds to get on their feet, straighten out their clothing and step out of the bush. Tenten dusted off Neji's butt, lingering a bit before pulling a few stray leaves out of his hair.

Ino and Sai stumbled into the open area where the fountain sat then stopped. Tenten took Neji's hand and began leading him back to the party. Ino grinned at her as they passed.

"Have fun," Tenten said.

"You too," Ino remarked.

Neji snorted but said nothing as they strode leisurely towards the hall. It was warm when they entered but people were still dancing. Neji hummed but led her to the dance floor, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close as the song changed to something slow. Tenten grinned, placing her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his solid chest.

He smelled of grass, a bit of sweat, musk from their sex, and wine. It was a good smell and Tenten closed her eyes as Neji swayed with her. She hoped her fantasy would come true.

* * *

"So, can I ask when the wedding is without getting killed?"

Tenten rolled her eyes at Ino's question. The blond giggled while Sakura smiled, Temari snorted, and Hinata flushed.

"I really don't care," Tenten said. "I have my ring, I have my Neji, the clan can't touch us, and that's really all that matters."

"I love that you put your ring before him," Temari said.

"Damn right," Tenten told her.

They laughed. Ino sipped her tea with both hands.

"Well, Sakura's wedding is in a month, mine's in three. So you could totally have yours in the spring, like six months from now. We could pull it off," Ino said.

Tenten shrugged.

"I'd be happy if it was just me, Neji, and the rest of the Konoha Eleven with sensei of course. No need to invite half of Konoha or Suna or wherever. Hell, I'd be happy to get Kakashi to marry Neji and I right now without all the fancy stuff," Tenten said.

Ino gaped at her as if she was crazy. So did Sakura. Temari laughed but Hinata shook her head.

"But the party is half the fun," Ino protested.

Tenten sipped her tea.

"Nope. Trust me, I've seen you four go through all that and I'm so not interested. Besides, there are better things I can spend my money on," Tenten said.

Ino rubbed her forehead while Sakura shook her head. Temari gave her a high five while Hinata giggled.

"I wouldn't have had a big ass wedding if it wasn't for the fact my wedding joined Konoha and Suna," Temari said.

"I wouldn't have either if I wasn't a Hyuuga. I like the thought of a small intimate wedding," Hinata said.

"You two aren't helping," Ino told them.

Tenten chuckled at Ino who huffed and blew bangs out of her face. Ino shook her head then met Tenten's eyes.

"Okay, but please tell me you'd be willing to wear a wedding kimono at this small wedding of yours," Ino said.

Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Only if I can make it gold instead of white. It's not like I'm a virgin going into this anyway," Tenten said.

Temari sputtered tea out her nose trying not to laugh. Hinata went beat red. Sakura gave her a high five this time and Ino groaned. Tenten grinned but handed Temari some napkins. Temari thanked her with a nod as she wiped up her mess.

"Fine, fine, whatever. Do I have your permission to plan this?" Ino asked.

Tenten shrugged.

"I'll have to talk to Neji," Tenten said.

"Urg," Ino muttered.

This made the others laugh. Tenten glanced to Sakura who had cleared her throat and started grinning.

"So, I'm about five weeks pregnant," Sakura said.

Silence for half a second then Ino processed Sakura's words.

"WHAT?"

Ino started shrieking happily, hugging Sakura then talking a mile a minute. Temari and Hinata congratulated Sakura who kept smiling and blushing. Tenten blinked at her friends then shook her head.

"Must be in the water," Tenten said.

"You might want to stop drinking it then," Temari told her.

Tenten snorted. Hinata was now eighteen weeks, Temari fourteen weeks, and now Sakura five weeks. Sakura would be getting married when she was a little over two months pregnant while Hinata would be almost six months, and Temari would be almost five months. Then at Ino's wedding Sakura would be four months, Hinata eight months, and Temari seven months.

"Okay, now Tenten and I have to get pregnant," Ino said.

"What, why?" Tenten asked.

Not that she was opposed. She and Neji had unprotected sex at Temari's wedding not too long ago. She wouldn't mind having a Hizashi or Hatomi before getting married.

"So then all our kids can go to the academy together," Ino said.

"Right," Tenten muttered.

"Well, Karui is pregnant with Choji's first kid," Sakura said.

"Ino-Shika-Cho must live on," Ino said with a fist pump.

Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Hinata and Naruto's kid will probably be put on the same team as mine and Sasuke's," Sakura said.

"Ha," Temari laughed.

"Too bad there's not another Lee or you or Neji, well, _yet,_ right Tenten?" Ino teased.

Tenten sipped her tea without remark. They all stopped when Lee burst into the cafe with a grin on his face.

"Yusa is pregnant!"

The entire cafe went quiet. Ino started laughing which made everyone else start congratulating Lee. Tenten put down her tea cup right before Lee barrelled into her, shouting about how youthful this all was.

"See, now there's going to be a mini Lee in the academy the same year as the rest of our kids," Temari said. "You kind of have to get pregnant now."

"Yes! That would be most glorious," Lee shouted.

Tenten groaned before dislodging Lee. He fell on his ass but recovered quickly before yelling something about finding the guys. He was gone before anyone fully processed his statement.

"As your fiancée would say: it is fate Tenten," Ino said.

Tenten gave her the finger, deposited some ryo on the table, and stood. She gave the others a backwards wave before walking out of the cafe.

So, Lee's wife Yusa was pregnant. Sakura, Temari and Hinata were pregnant. Ino was hoping to get pregnant in a few weeks. Tenten snorted at her thoughts. She should spite her friends and not get pregnant just to be different. Tenten grinned. Yeah, that was a great plan.

* * *

*whistles* Reviews welcome.


	7. Fate

**Fate**

 **Author's note:** Again, look plot! Again, I've no idea how this went from a one-shot BDSM sex scene into whatever the HECK this is but I'm rolling with it. It's how I get things done.

Also, I had a wedding to go to this weekend which is why this is late in going up. There was planning and running around, not sleeping and partying done. Plus working all week and I just wanted to write the chapters way down the line instead of re-reading old ones for mistakes. Oops?

 **WARNING:** Exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji _lives_. They're 20 in this plot-filled "just bondage sex" story.

* * *

Sakura's wedding had been awesome though Sasuke was a dick and had left Konoha a week after said wedding without his new wife. He didn't know when he would be coming back. Sakura had put on a happy face when she saw him off at the gates. Tenten had wondered if filling the last Uchiha with senbon would be rude but decided not to risk it.

So here she sat at the same cafe with a obviously showing Hinata, a kind of showing Temari, a little bumped Sakura and a beaming Ino who had _just_ announced her pregnancy. Now Ino would be two months at her December wedding in a month, Sakura would be four months, Hinata eight months, and Temari seven months.

"Jeez," Tenten said.

"And Yusa's four months. Tenten you've got to get working," Ino said.

Tenten rolled her eyes. The other four giggled while Tenten sipped her water. She hadn't been feeling well this morning when she woke up and had even thrown up. Neji had given her a curious look when she had sat back from the toilet. He had been brushing his teeth.

"I don't want to yet," Tenten said. "Besides, Neji and I are still settling in."

Ino scoffed while Temari smirked. Even Hinata rolled her eyes.

"Yeah right," Ino said. "He's been living with you for what, four months now? Technically it's been closer to a year as he's slept over at your place for days at a time."

Okay, so Ino had a good point. It didn't mean Tenten had to like it. And sure, Neji was as settled in as he was going to be. He cooked in the morning and for dinner when they weren't going out with friends. She made their bento boxes for lunch and together they made up their grocery list. They shared in cleaning their apartment and doing laundry, after Tenten had explained and shown Neji how to do laundry.

Their morning routines worked perfectly together. He would be up usually fifteen minutes before her and shower while she woke up and pulled her body out of bed. He would brush his teeth and his hair while she started showering. When she was done with the shower he would be about done with breakfast or close to.

After breakfast he would meditate while she took care of any of her weapons. They would head off to do some training then be back to cook dinner and snuggle on the couch or hang out with friends. They didn't get in each other's way but they helped the other out. It was perfect.

"Well, it's only a one-bedroom so even if we had kids it wouldn't work," Tenten said.

"Then you move," Ino told her.

Tenten huffed.

"Do you know how expensive moving is?" Tenten asked.

"Neji-niisan has never spent any of his ryo on much of anything," Hinata mentioned. "Which means he must have at least eight million ryo saved in the bank."

Tenten stared. Right. Neji had never had to pay for an apartment, utilities, food, or weapons. It was why he had given her a strange look when she had asked him for five thousand ryo to pay for half the bills.

"Right," Tenten mumbled.

"And that is from the four S-Ranked missions he has gone on," Hinata went on. "Never mind the money he received from the war, the twenty-something C rank missions, ten B-Rank missions, and twenty A-Rank missions."

Hinata sipped her tea with a sly grin on her face. Tenten hadn't realized how _much_ Neji would have saved because he didn't have to spend most of his pay checks on living or buying weapons.

"Huh," Temari said.

"Really, Tenten, go buy a house, furnish it all new and have some kids," Ino said.

The girls laughed at her. Tenten huffed. Her stomach did some kind of weird flip and suddenly she had to throw up. Tenten bolted to the bathroom and _just_ made it to the toilet before spewing her lunch and whatever remained of the breakfast Neji had made her.

"Tenten?"

Sakura. Oh good, a medic-nin was coming to check on her. Tenten flushed the toilet and wiped her mouth with toilet paper. She came out of the bathroom as Sakura watched her. Tenten washed out her mouth by cupping her hand under the running water. She washed her face then dried off with paper towels.

"Are you pregnant?" Sakura asked.

Tenten laughed. Right. Neji had a point when he said it took more than one time for a person to get pregnant. Sure, they had done it twice on the same night but they had been using a condom since.

"No, just sick or something," Tenten replied.

"Sure," Sakura said.

She was grinning. Tenten huffed and brushed her bangs back into place. Temari's wedding had been almost four months ago now. Maybe...no way, it took more than one try to make a baby.

"When was your last period?" Sakura questioned.

Tenten blinked. She had some spotting two weeks after Temari's wedding but nothing after. No, her period was always whacked out. Sometimes she would be two or three months between cycles.

"Right after Temari's wedding," Tenten said.

"Still, that was four months ago," Sakura said.

Tenten snorted but shook her head, still fixing her bangs even though they fell perfectly in place. Unless Neji had super sperm she couldn't be pregnant. Knowing his sperm they would all be little genius swimmers. Tenten mentally laughed at the thought.

"Whatever, I'm going home to see what Neji is up to," Tenten said.

She left the bathroom but didn't bother to go to the table to pay for her lunch or tea. The others could take care of it for once. Tenten left and hit the roofs, running towards her apartment as quickly as she could, trying not to think about Sakura's words.

Tenten also tried not to think about how she had to loosen her obi the past few weeks in order to get it around her waist. She wouldn't think about how the leather skirt she wore for her and Neji's scenes had to be adjusted a bit wider so it wouldn't be too tight. She couldn't think about how she had to loosen the strings at the waist of her corset the other day.

Tenten landed on the stoop and let out a breath. She walked into the apartment to see Neji lying across the floor near their bookshelves by the windows in a beam of light. She almost laughed because he looked like a big feline soaking up the sun on his upper body as he read with the book over his head. He wore shorts and a tee shirt, that was it, and the shirt had rolled up to show his lower abs and his happy trail.

Tenten smiled when he turned to her and shifted so he was on his feet. Tenten made sure he door was shut before walking over to him and hugging him. He kissed the top of her head, one hand holding his book with his finger in it to mark his place. The other hand lay flat against her back.

"I think I'm pregnant," Tenten said.

The book fell out of his hands with a thunk. Neji pulled back and looked down at her. His eyebrows had come up, his eyes had gone wide, and his lips had parted. A moment later, the Byakugan activated. She saw him focusing. She stared when he went pale. His Byakugan de-activated and his entire body went limp as he fainted.

He had still been sort of holding Tenten so she went with him, yelping. Luckily he broke her fall. Tenten grunted when she landed on his chest then glared at him while he groaned and rubbed his forehead.

"I'm guessing that's a confirmation?" Tenten questioned.

"Hn,"

Agreement sound.

"So, how far along?"

"Four months, easy, so we conceived our children at Temari and Shikamaru's wedding,"

Tenten almost started laughing but stopped. Neji has said "our children." Tenten smacked his chest. He grunted then looked down at her.

"Did you just say _our children_?" Tenten asked.

Neji gulped but nodded. Tenten stared, wishing she could close her mouth or make her eyes not so wide. She didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or castrate Neji.

"How many?"

"Two, twins, you do know they run directly in my line, right? My father was a twin, as was my mother even though her twin died when they were born,"

"Oh crap. My mom was a twin too,"

"And it does tend to skip a generation so because you and I aren't twins,"

"We would _have_ twins. Fuck,"

"Hn,"

He amused sound but he did have some nervousness in there. Oh good, she wasn't the only one about to shit herself, cry, laugh, and want to kill something. Tenten groaned then put her head on his chest, right above his heart. His arms came up to wrap around her and she appreciated it.

"And I just stormed out of the cafe all mad because Sakura thought I could be pregnant. Here I am further along than Ino, Sakura and Yusa," Tenten said.

Neji chuckled but the nervous sound was still there. He was rubbing her back though so she wasn't too worried.

"Well, at least we have names picked out," Neji said.

"Yeah, one girl and one boy name. Knowing our luck we'll have twin boys or twin girls," Tenten said.

Neji laughed, more mirthful than worried now and she looked at him. He kept smiling.

"So if we have twin boys it can be Hizashi and Hitomi. If we have twin girls it can be Hatomi and Hizasha,"

Tenten blinked then started laughing. He joined in after a moment and they lay on the floor of the apartment, chuckling and holding onto each other. Tenten had to wipe tears from her eyes once they were done but kept grinning at Neji who returned the expression.

"We're going to need a bigger place," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

Agreement sound.

"And more furniture and dishes,"

"Hn,"

His "obviously" sound.

"And your clan is going to be pissed because these two are likely going to be born out of wedlock unless you're totally okay with just going to Kakashi and getting him to make us up a marriage certificate,"

"We can make a weekend out of it. You know, tell the Konoha Eleven, gather in his office, do the vow exchange then go out to a restaurant for the reception. No invitations because we can verbally tell everyone once we confirm with Kakashi, no need for wedding registration because it'll be quick and we have most of what we need, and no worry about cleaning up or catering. Easy and finished quickly,"

Tenten kissed him.

"I love how we're on the same page with the wedding,"

Neji chuckled then kissed her back.

"Then we can look for a house and buy it outright because what is mine is yours and all that. I have twelve million ryo in the bank right now so costs are not an issue,"

Tenten gaped. He had _twelve million ryo_ saved in the bank doing nothing but gaining interest. They could buy a _huge_ house, furnish it all knew, then live off the interest of Neji's bank account for the rest of their lives.

Tenten started giggling and he smirked at her. Okay, so she had found a guy who was gorgeous, sexy, liked being submissive and trying new things, worked with her routine, could train with her, could talk to her like a good friend or a lover, who was on the same wavelength as her when it came to important things, had a great dick, and was a millionaire. She had landed the best guy out of her four friends.

"Let's go house shopping," Tenten said.

"Right now?"

"Well yeah, it takes like a month to close a deal on a house. And when we're done looking around today we can go talk to Kakashi about setting a date in his office then book a restaurant. I mean, it won't take us long to tell everyone then find a nice gold kimono for me to wear and you some nice clothes. Let's get moving, we can have it all planned before six tonight,"

Tenten smiled when he smirked at her. He nodded and hoisted her into his arms bridal carry. Tenten giggled when he brought her into the bedroom. She stopped laughing when he stripped. Tenten watched with a grin on her face as Neji pulled on a pair of black pants and a blue tee shirt. He brushed his hair and wrapped a bandana over his curse seal.

She took his hand in hers as they walked out of the bedroom then the apartment. Tenten couldn't stop from smiling as they strode down the dozen steps then headed towards the housing area in middle class Konoha. This would be awesome.

* * *

"So, it's five bedrooms with an en suite three piece bath on the main bedroom, a second bathroom, and a laundry room coming off the kitchen. The house itself is four years old and is one of the few on this block to have central heating _and_ air conditioning. Plus it's got a fully fenced in, large yard, and is in a quiet neighbourhood."

The realtor beamed at them in her elegant white skirt and shirt.

Tenten stood in the middle of the sitting room of the house she and Neji had found for sale. The sitting area was immense, easily forty-five by fifty-five feet and open concept with the kitchen which was around the same dimensions. The front door sat between the two spaces and to the left of the front door was the sitting area with its sliding wall doors that led into the huge fenced in yard.

The front yard of the place wasn't bad either: ten feet by fifteen feet but the side yard was massive, big enough to plant a garden and still have room to run around in. There was a strip of grass to the right of the front door four feet wide that ran along that side of the house.

The front door ran along the line for the hallway where the master bedroom sat with its en suite bathroom on the left. The second bathroom was against this wall as well. Two rooms were on the right wall. The hallway made a t-shape at the end which left the final two rooms along a back wall with a storage closet ten feet deep by five feet across.

The four non-main rooms were fifteen by twenty feet while the master bedroom was twenty by twenty five. The master bathroom was small compared to the rest of the place but it was the size of the apartment bathroom which she and Neji were used to working in. The actual bathroom was twice the size of the en suite.

The laundry room was ten by fifteen feet and could likely double as a storage area for cleaning supplies and other stuff. Hell, she had managed to fit a washer and dryer into a five foot deep by six foot wide room. Here she would have double the space.

"The owners re-built the place after the war but now they want to downsize. Seems they decided not to have as many children and they don't want two rooms to go to waste,"

Tenten all ready could count on her and Neji having two kids in five months. As for more, well, they would see. Besides, they could convert one room to house all their books and her weapons while the other room could be a guest bedroom.

Sure, they had stepped into this place as a joke but the more time Tenten spent looking around with the realtor, the more she found she was falling in love with the place.

The floors were real hardwood, dark all through the hallway and in the sitting room. The kitchen was actual tile, ceramic, in white with gray swirls going through. The kitchen cupboards were white oak and the fence had been built of cement instead of wood. The bedrooms all had a honey colored hardwood floor with wide windows and huge closets. Hell, the master bedroom had a walk in closet complete with a shelf system for shoes, not that either of them had a lot of shoes.

They even had a half attic for storage which was accessed by a pull cord in the middle of the hallway. The house was in sight of the hokage tower, a ten minute run, and perhaps a ten minute run from the marketplace. The training fields would be further but that didn't matter. They were kind of central to the important buildings but far enough away from the Hyuuga Compound that neither of them would feel threatened.

"The neighbours to the right just had a baby girl and the ones to the left had their second. The first is three. The ones across the street are expecting and the ones to either side of the place directly across are both older couples with children who are old enough to baby sit,"

Plus a built in social community: kids for their twins to play with and kids to watch their twins if they both had to go on missions at the same time. Tenten was in love but kept her face neutral like Neji.

"I don't know if this matters but there are a few shinobi who live nearby,"

Tenten didn't remark as they walked into the top of the 't' in the hallway. There were windows to either end of the hallway, letting in lots of light. Both windows were chest height and with potted plants in front of them anyone trying to sneak in would be heard. Tenten almost laughed at her thoughts. Hell, the storage closet between the two rooms could act as a laundry room if they took out the built in shelves.

"The asking price is 6,000,000 ryo (A/N about 750,000USD) which is the same as the other places. Oh, the stove has five burners with a built in flat top to make grilled fish. The fridge is a double door with a large upper freezer. You would have to buy or bring in your own washer and dryer though but there is a built in microwave stand above the stove,"

They headed back to the kitchen and Tenten saw what the woman talked about. The fridge was twice the size of hers and the stove was awesome, five burners and a long, wide, upraised flat top for cooking, well, anything. It would act as in indoor grill. Even better all the counters were tough granite with a beautiful white and gray finish. The cupboards were white with silver handles and gray etching around the inside. Both the fridge and the stove were silver in color so everything matched.

There were three sets of lights across the ceiling to distribute everything evenly plus two wide kitchen windows: one above the deep double basin sink and one at the right of the kitchen on the same wall as the front door. Even better the direction the place was built in meant the sun came from the huge sliding windows of the living room over to set in the kitchen at night.

"I'll leave you two to think about it,"

The woman walked off with a click of heels to another couple, this one with the woman obviously pregnant. Both were civilians.

"Neji,"

"Hn?"

"This place is _ours_ ,"

"Hn,"

His agreement sound. Tenten grinned. The realtor left the couple to themselves as they wanted to look around on their own. Neji nodded to the realtor who walked over with a smile.

"So, how does this work to buy this home?" Neji asked.

The realtor's smile turned into a huge grin.

"Well, you would make an offer then we see if the sellers agree on the offer," the realtor said.

Tenten blinked. They could buy the place outright this moment. Sure, it would take half of Neji's savings but they would be set for life in this place. Plus it would maybe be 60,000 to furnish and paint the place, if that. Regular bills would _maybe_ be five thousand ryo.

"We would be willing to pay the asking amount right now," Neji said.

The realtor's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. Tenten kept her laugh back.

"Let me call the sellers," the woman sputtered.

Neji inclined his head as the woman strode towards the phone hanging on the wall. Neji guided Tenten into the sitting room again so they could look out of the sliding doors. There was a tree in the front corner of the yard a few dozen feet from the fence where it sat closest but the thing was massive. One branch extended fairly low, ten feet high but straight out thick and healthy which would be perfect for a swing.

They could easily make a sand box near the tree, put targets up along the back wall, put in a few training dummies and a slide but still have room for the kids to kick around a ball. Hell they could make a porch right outside their sliding doors if they wanted. All they needed to do was fill in the space they wanted with cement then build up frames and a roof.

"I all ready have plans for the yard," Tenten said.

"Swing off that branch, sandbox in that corner with a slide, targets on the back wall and a training dummy over in the opposite corner. We could make a cement porch to extend the entire length of this wall about ten feet out then enclose it with wood and a roof, open concept so we still get the light. Then we can put a swinging bench at the far corner and an outdoor barbeque at the other corner with patio furniture where the glass does not slide open,"

Neji was further ahead than her. She laughed.

"We can hang lights along the inside of the fence as well so the property is always lit," Neji went on.

"Yeah, I was thinking putting potted plants on tables in front of those windows at the end of the hallways,"

"So a person would knock them down if entering,"

She giggled as he smirked at her. The realtor came back. Tenten saw her reflection in the glass so they turned to face her and the woman had a grin on her face.

"The sellers are on their way now to take the check and sign over the ownership. It'll take about half an hour in total. I'm going to tell the other couple then take down the for sale sign," she said.

"Thank you. We will be here," Neji said.

"Not a problem and thank you," the realtor said.

She was gone again a moment later. Tenten watched as the other couple walked out with little frowns. The realtor followed them then came back within a minute holding the "for sale" sign. Tenten went back to looking at the side lawn and smiled.

She could see two brown haired, pale amber eyed kids chasing each other through the grass, shouting pretend jutsu, throwing dull weapons at each other, and with Byakugan activated. She could see Neji chasing after them with a smile on his face while she sat on their patio furniture holding their third child.

She had never put much thought into being a mother, even after she and Neji started secretly dating when they were younger. But here she was, four months pregnant with twins, engaged to Neji and about to buy a home with him.

Any normal woman would probably be panicking but she wanted the sellers to get here _now_ so they could start painting their home, furnishing it then planning their wedding. She wanted to move their bed into that big master bedroom by tonight and cast the sound proofing jutsu on their bedroom so they could yell and scream as loud as they wanted.

She wanted to go buy that swing from RLM to hang in the corner of their bedroom. She wanted to make Neji walked naked through the whole house, arms bound behind his back, anal beads up his ass, with the ball gag in his mouth while she whipped him. Tenten grinned at the imagery. Hell, once the patio was up she could punish him outdoors.

"Here they are,"

Tenten turned to the realtor and a young civilian couple. The male of the two was the same height as Neji, a little less than six feet, with brown hair and brown eyes. He wore plain dark pants and a plain shirt. The wrinkles were fine across his face and he had a receding hair line at no more than mid-twenties. The woman was brown haired and brown eyed as well with huge boobs, small hips and a slender waist.

"Ida Koji and Ida Nao, these are, ah, I'm sorry I didn't get your names," the realtor said.

"Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga Tenten," Neji said.

All three gaped. Tenten wanted to laugh. Neji had become famous for saving Naruto and Hinata's lives plus the Hyuuga were the biggest and probably most well known family in and outside of Konoha.

It hit Tenten Neji had all ready given her his family name in their introduction. She felt her cheeks heat and kept back her giggle. She would have to get used to it. If they were good they could be married by Saturday, five days from now. Tenten grinned.

"It's nice to meet you Hyuuga-sama," Koji said with his hand extended to shake.  
Neji took it regally and Tenten exchanged a handshake with both husband and wife as did Neji. She tried not to chuckle over how royally Neji presented himself. His bearing was straight from Hyuuga decorum and for once Tenten didn't mind it.

They were led to the kitchen which was the only place with flat surfaces. Neji made out the check for six million ryo without batting an eye then handed it to Koji who nodded in awe. Tenten signed beside Neji's flowing signature on the forms and as the realtor promise, they owned the home in thirty minutes.

The Ida handed over the two keys and good-byes were exchanged. Tenten watched as the realtor and the Ida left the house, closing the door behind them then looked up to Neji. He had a little smile on his face and when he met her eyes, the smile grew.

"We own a home," Neji said.

"Yeah, before we got married," Tenten said.

"Hn, we've always done things a bit backwards," Neji said.

She laughed but he did make a good point. They had sex before deciding to become an actual couple. Hell, he had been inside her before kissing her open-mouthed. If they didn't count the forced group hugs from Guy-sensei or the hugs during sex then they had their first hug after the first time they had sex.

"You've got that right. Let's go see Kakashi,"

* * *

Tenten grinned as Kakashi stared at them from behind his desk, a mound of papers stacked high to either side. Iruka-sensei gaped from Kakashi's right side as Pakkun stared at them with a slack jaw from the left side of Kakashi's desk.

"You want to get _married_ in my office?" Kakashi asked.

"Or some other room," Neji said. "It does not have to be anything fancy as we are only inviting the other Konoha Eleven with their plus ones, my uncle and younger cousin, the senseis of the group, and perhaps one or two others. It will be perhaps twenty-five in total at maximum."

"And if we could do it either this Saturday or next Saturday, that would be great. Also we're going to need maybe a month or two off from missions for the both of us, well, me more since I'm four months pregnant," Tenten said.

Iruka-sensei slapped the desk in front of him to keep from falling. Pakkun fell off the desk with a grunt. Kakashi kept staring, both dark eyes wide, and his gaping mouth visible even under his mask.

"Uh, too much information," Kakashi got out.

He rubbed his forehead for a moment then sighed. Iruka-sensei visibly shook as did Pakkun who had made it to his feet.

"Okay, so, first Tenten you have to fill out the maternity leave forms," Kakashi said.

Iruka-sensei went over to a filing cabinet then handed her two pieces of paper. She nodded to him.

"Second, Neji needs to hand in time off forms," Kakashi went on.

Iruka-sensei had those ready in his hand and gave Neji a sheet of paper with a smile on his face. Tenten bit her lip to keep from laughing as Neji inclined his head in thanks.

"Third you have to fill out an application for a marriage license,"

Again, Iruka had this piece of paper ready. Neji took it with a little smirk.

"If you do it all now, I can sign off on them today,"

Neji hummed. Tenten grinned.

"Give us ten minutes," Neji said.

Kakashi waved them off. Neji bowed as did Tenten. They left Kakashi in his office and used a briefing room to fill out the forms. Tenten giggled as she filled out her maternity leave form while Neji filled out his time off form. They filled in the marriage license application form together then went back into Kakashi's office.

He raised an eyebrow at them but his eyes crinkled showing his amusement. Pakkun grinned at them as did Iruka-sensei. They both handed in the forms and Kakashi looked them over before signing them.

"Ah, we also will need change of address forms," Neji said.

Kakashi, Iruka-sensei, and Pakkun stared.

"What, did you kids buy a house too?" Pakkun asked sarcastically.

Tenten pursed her lips as Neji wordlessly put the deed onto Kakashi's desk. Pakkun fainted again. Kakashi slipped down his chair as Iruka-sensei gaped and almost face planted on the desk. Tenten giggled.

Kakashi sat up in his chair then looked to Iruka-sensei who nodded. He handed them both another one page piece of paper. Pakkun muttered under his breath about taking a joke as a joke while Neji picked up their deed and put it back in his pocket.

"Okay, great," Kakashi muttered. "Now, I'm free between one in the afternoon and four this Saturday. We can use Briefing Room A as the venue. I'm sure once you tell Ino she'll decorate the place."

"One is fine and of course, you're invited Iruka-sensei," Tenten said.

Neji nodded happily. Kakashi deadpanned then shook his head. Iruka-sensei made a note in Kakashi's date-book then his own with a grin on his face. His eyes were misty as well but Tenten resisted the urge to hug him.

"Good, good, I'll have the proper forms filled out. Also, Tenten you're going to have to fill out a change of name form for your, well, everything. Once you get them done then I can stamp them as well and you'll be all set," Kakashi said.

Iruka-sensei handed her more forms. Good thing all her name change included was adding Neji's last name to hers. It wouldn't be that confusing.

"Thanks," Tenten told him.

"Yes, thank you Kakashi-sama," Neji replied.

"Yeah, go have fun telling everyone else," Kakashi said.

"Oh we will," Tenten told him.

They bowed and walked out of the office. Tenten started laughing once they were in the hallway and Neji joined her a moment later. They had both put their house keys on the ring for Tenten's apartment keys which now jingled in their pockets.

"Okay, so for the housing stuff we have to give my landlord sixty days notice, paint the new place then get all new stuff and sell the old stuff or whatever. For the wedding on Saturday we have to tell the others, get our clothes, and book a place to eat," Tenten said.

"We'll rent out a restaurant for the night and whoever comes, comes," Neji said.

"Oh, good idea," Tenten said.

"Let's do that first so we can tell people where both the wedding and reception will be. We also have to get a photographer to take at least a picture of us," Neji said.

"Right, hm, busy day,"

"Nothing we cannot handle after being trained under Guy-sensei,"

"True. Do we dare make this a challenge?"

"Do not go all Lee on me now,"

Tenten laughed at him as Neji gave her a little smirk. Other people might think they were going fast but they had been dating the longest out of every couple. Five years technically and even if they didn't count the unofficial years they had been together longer than any other couple. Most people had suspected their relationship a few months before the war so all they had done was confirm it the day Neji almost died.

Yusa and Lee hadn't gotten together until three weeks after the war. Even Naruto and Hinata hadn't started dating until a week after the war. Shikamaru and Temari started dating two weeks after the war. Sure, she and Neji were longest official couple by a few weeks but still. Everyone else was all ready married.

And Hell, Ino and Sai would be married a month after them after dating for a single year. No one could say she and Neji were going to fast without saying the same about Sai and Ino. Tenten led Neji to the restaurant district.

It was almost four in the afternoon. They had their wedding date set. By six tonight they might be able to inform all their guests and have a restaurant picked out. Tenten smiled but kept the challenge to herself. No need to make Neji freak out about her being too much like Guy-sensei and Lee.

Tenten laughed when Ino, Sai, Temari, Shikamaru, Choji, Karui, Kurenai, and Mirai stared at them in shock. Ino reacted first:

"WHAT?"

Tenten kept giggling as Neji hummed then shook his head. The entire restaurant stared at them but Tenten found she didn't care.

"I said: I'm four months pregnant with twins, we bought a house, and we're getting married in Briefing Room A at one this Saturday with reception to be held at the Amber Dragon Restaurant at five. You're all invited to the wedding," Tenten repeated.

"Naruto, Hinata, Yusa, Lee, Guy-sensei, Shino, Kiba, Tamaki, Sakura, Tsunade, Shizune, Anko, Ibiki, Hiashi-sama, Hanabi-sama, and Iruka will be the other guests as well as any plus ones Shino, Tsunade, Shizune, Hiashi-sama, and Hanabi-sama and Iruka may bring," Neji said.

Ino's head hit the table. Choji dropped the pork he had been about to put in his mouth. Temari still had tea dripping out of her nose while Karui had slipped down her seat and almost to the floor. Hell, _Sai_ looked stunned.

"How in the Hell did we miss a month since this morning?" Temari asked.

"I don't know," Ino said.

She had moaned but hadn't lifted her head from the table. Tenten squeezed Neji's hand in hers and he squeezed back. She kept smiling, hell; even he had a grin on his face.

"Seriously though: this is Team Guy, you know, the quickest most efficient team in the entire village, known for doing insane things," Shikamaru said.

"Hey, we've been together the longest both unofficially and officially," Tenten said.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.

"She's got a point," Temari said. "Even if they don't count the time they were together before the war which most people figure was about a year, they've been a couple longer than all of us yet besides Ino now, we'll have all been married before them. Really we should've seen this coming."

Shikamaru mumbled his word along with asking why in the Hell he had stopped smoking. Temari smacked him upside the head and he pouted.

"Can Gaara and Kankuro come to the reception?" Temari asked.

"Of course," Tenten said. "The reception is open to all friends or anyone else who happens to wander in. We rented out the place from five until one. It'll be buffet style too so no worrying about ordering off a menu plus their baker is going to make us a three tier wedding cake. So far we've spent all of forty thousand ryo."

Ino groaned again. Tenten knew the blond was hitting the hundred and eighty thousand ryo mark with her wedding and wasn't done paying. Temari had spent eight hundred thousand solely because of the amount of guests. Sakura's had been two hundred and forty thousand as well. Hinata's, well, no one wanted to go there.

"If you like, Ino, you may decorate the briefing room," Neji said.

Ino's head perked up at that and a broad smile lit her face.

"We're going with gold and burgundy with black accents," Tenten said.

"You have a budget of twenty thousand ryo though we doubt you will need that much," Neji said.

"What about the restaurant?" Ino asked.

"They're covering decorations. You can talk to Yuna at the Amber Dragon to get ideas if you want," Tenten replied.

Ino blinked but nodded. She whipped out a day planner then marked the date.

"Dress?" Ino questioned.

"Well, I don't mind going shopping tomorrow morning if you aren't busy. Neji's good to pick out his own clothes and we all know I'm looking for a gold dress," Tenten said.

"Okay we'll do that tomorrow. Chairs come with the briefing room so no worry there. Don't need to worry about invitations since you're doing it verbally. No need to worry about a caterer. Huh. Sai, why didn't we do it this way?" Ino enquired.

"Because you wanted a fairy tale wedding?" Sai returned.

Tenten smirked when Ino snorted but kissed Sai's cheek. The artist looked painfully confused.

"We also have a photographer hired to take pictures during the entire event," Neji said.

"And we bought a guest book for everyone to sign," Tenten said.

Everyone stared. Tenten showed them the pretty burgundy book with gold lettering. Ino whacked her head off the table again.

"It came with fifty thank you cards and a fancy pen. Oh and for gifts we don't expect anything fancy. Just cash is fine and we'll put it towards furnishing the house on our own," Tenten said.

Stares and silence. Ino shook her head. Shikamaru rubbed his forehead while everyone but Kurenai gaped. Kurenai had the biggest grin on her face.

"Right," Karui mumbled.

"Why didn't we do this?" Choji asked in awe.

Tenten pursed her lips to keep from laughing when Karui shrugged.

"Because we're not Team Guy," Karui answered.

Tenten giggled and saw Neji smirk when Shikamaru snorted. Kurenai started chuckling which made her daughter grin.

"You two were the furthest behind the other couples at the beginning of this year now you're either on track or ahead," Kurenai said.

"Hey, yeah," Ino exclaimed. "You guys will be married before me, have a house before everyone but Naruto and Hinata, and have a kid before me, Sakura, and Yusa."

"Two kids," Neji corrected after a beat.

"Right, twins," Temari said with a shake of her head.

Tenten laughed. Neji coughed to hide a laugh. Tenten spotted movement then saw Kiba, Tamaki, Shino, Hinata, Naruto, and Sakura heading towards them.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Kiba asked.

Everyone but Kurenai and her daughter face planted on the table. The rest of the Konoha Eleven (minus Lee) stared at them then met Neji and Tenten's eyes. Tenten launched into her speech and they all fainted. Tenten managed to hold up Sakura while Neji caught Hinata. It took a moment for everyone to come to again then the same round of questions was answered.

"Fuck me," Kiba muttered when it was done.

"I feel like I missed a month," Sakura said.

"Join the club," Ino said.

Tenten smirked. Neji shrugged.

"We have to find Lee, Tsunade-sama, Shizune, Ibiki, Anko, Hiashi-sama, and Hanabi-sama. We will see you all through the week then on Saturday," Neji said.

"Yeah, sure," Naruto said.

Tenten could tell the future seventh hokage was still dazed. Tenten marked most of the names off their list as well as the note for telling Ino about decorations. She penned down a meeting time with the girls to find her dress and they left the restaurant to a chorus of amazed and happy good-byes.

"This has been a great day," Tenten said.

"Hn. Let us go to Guy-sensei first. Lee is likely with him," Neji said.

Tenten nodded. She smirked at the sky as it was a little before five in the evening. She almost burst out laughing five minutes later as while they were walking towards the center Guy-sensei was in they ran into Tsunade-sama and Shizune. Both fell over on the spot after Tsunade-sama yelled out a "what?" and Tenten repeated everything.

It took a few more minutes to field more questions than Tsunade-sama laughed and told them she looked forward to her Saturday afternoon. Shizune made a note in her date book and they parted ways, Tenten happily crossing two more names off their list.

She did laugh when she spotted Anko, Ibiki, and Lee visiting Guy-sensei. Tenten hoped the ringing would leave her ears after Lee and Guy-sensei's stunned shouts. They were hugged, Neji was slapped in the back thanks to Ibiki and Anko, and they answered the same questions. By five thirty they were headed towards the Hyuuga Compound.

"So, I made a mental challenge that we could inform all our guests before six," Tenten said on the way.

"Hn,"

Neji's amused sound complete with a smile. Tenten kissed his cheek. The Compound was quiet as a graveyard which was typical. Neji found Hiashi and Hanabi in the Clan Head's office looking over some paper work. Both raised their eyebrows when Neji bowed. Tenten followed along then looked to Neji. He nodded at her.

"Tenten and I are getting married on Saturday at one in the afternoon, thirteen hundred hours in the Hokage Tower in Briefing Room A. The reception will be held at the Amber Dragon Restaurant at five, seventeen hundred hours until oh-one hundred hours," Neji said.

Tenten wished she had brought a camera because the stunned look on Hiashi's face would've been worth a million ryo, easily. Hanabi had the same expression as her father: eyes wide, jaw dropped so far Tenten could see her tonsils, shoulders sagged forward, and eyebrows lost in her hairline.

Hiashi shook his head then let out a breath. Hanabi face-planted on the desk but Hiashi didn't even glance at his daughter. He opened his mouth to speak. Tenten saw Neji's mouth twitch but he kept the smile back before continuing his speech:

"We also own a home now and Tenten is four months pregnant with twins."

Hiashi opened his mouth, closed it then repeated this cycle five or six more times. Hanabi lifted her head off the desk and her Byakugan activated. Hiashi's did as well after a beat and they stared at Tenten's stomach in wonder.

"Oh my god there's two babies in there," Hanabi said shrilly while pointing at Tenten.

"Yes, that is what twins are," Hiashi said sarcastically.

Tenten snorted. Neji covered a laugh with a polite cough. Hiashi's Byakugan deactivated and he shook his head. Hanabi had come out from behind the desk to coo in front of Tenten's forming bump.

"Hello little cousins," Hanabi said.

Tenten laughed when Hanabi put her hand gently on Tenten's stomach and kept cooing, Byakugan still activated as she made baby sounds. Tenten spotted Hiashi smirk for several seconds before he cleared his throat.

"Congratulations," Hiashi said. "I assume we should have expected everything to happen quickly once the Elders agreed to your terms."

"Hell yeah," Tenten said.

Hanabi laughed. Hiashi tried to hold it back but he joined his daughter after a moment while Tenten grinned. Neji kept the smile on his face and his left hand in her right as Hanabi kept cooing at the twins.

"They look like little peanuts," Hanabi said. "I think they're girls."

Tenten gaped then stared at Neji. His Byakugan activated and he blinked. Tenten rubbed her forehead when Neji got in beside Hanabi. She groaned when Hiashi took the little room on Hanabi's other side with his Byakugan activated.

"I can't tell if that's a clitoris or a penis," Hanabi said.

"I do not think I am comfortable hearing you say either of those words," Hiashi said.

Tenten sighed. They all told her to stop because she was shaking the babies too much. Tenten rolled her eyes.

"One's is smaller than the other," Neji pointed out after a moment.

Hanabi and Hiashi agreed while Tenten shook her head.

"This is what I get for marrying a guy with x-ray vision," Tenten said.

"The good news is they both have ten fingers and ten toes," Hanabi said.

"Great," Tenten said with a huff.

"And they have strong heart beats," Hiashi said.

It hit Tenten then she was carrying _life_ inside her. She looked down at Neji to see it had whacked him in the head as well. His lips had parted slightly and his eyes had gone wide but damp. He wrapped his arms around her waist then leaned his head on her side.

"We created life. I'm going to be a father," Neji mumbled.

Tenten put her hand on the top of his head but was glad he was hugging her so tight. She would've fainted if he wasn't. Hanabi snorted then patted Neji's shoulder as Hiashi chuckled. They both stood and deactivated Byakugan but Neji didn't look like he was ready to stand yet.

"And it just hit them," Hanabi said with a grin.

"Hn, when did you two find out?" Hiashi asked.

"Uh, one today?" Tenten guessed.

"Hn," Neji muttered.

Silence. Hiashi smirked, shaking his head. Hanabi laughed again.

"Wow, you guys really do work quickly," Hanabi said.

Tenten needed to sit down. Hanabi seemed to get this and grabbed a chair. Tenten eased into it more because Neji was still hugging her than anything else. She kept running her hand over his hair as he smiled softly, humming against her stomach with his eyes closed but Byakugan still activated.

"Wow, we're going to be married and have a house by this Sunday," Tenten said.

"Shush, I'm listening to their heartbeats," Neji said.

Tenten pursed her lips to keep from laughing then felt a weird kind of jolt. She looked down at her stomach when Neji chuckled.

"One hiccupped," Neji said.

"Aw," Hanabi cooed.

Tenten laughed. Neji huffed at her until she settled. He went back to listening to their twins' heartbeats with a little smile.

"Is there anything else we need to know?" Hiashi asked.

Tenten shook her head. Neji opened his eyes and his smile faltered slightly. He got to his feet as Hiashi went back to sit behind his desk. Hanabi followed but with a little pout. Neji's Byakugan deactivated and he thanked his uncle and cousin before bowing. Tenten got out of her chair then bowed. They were walking out of the Hyuuga Compound a few minutes before six.

"Ha, challenge met," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

Neji's thoughtful sound.

"You do realize how much our lives had changed since this morning right? We own a house, we're having twins, and we're getting married," Tenten said.

He nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her body into his. She easily put her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his waist.

"We do work quickly,"

Neji laughed with her. This week would be hectic. They would paint and decorate their house, buy wedding clothes, and (hopefully) be moved into their home before the wedding.

"Ah, I hate to say this but you won't be able to help much with decorating, painting, or moving into our house," Neji said.

Tenten stared at him and was about to go on a rant of women being as strong as men then stopped. He was right. The paint fumes might harm their twins and if she lifted anything over a certain weight she could get hurt. But...

"Well, I could seal all our belongings into a scroll at intervals then summon them at the new place," Tenten said.

Neji opened his mouth then closed it. He blinked. Tenten beamed at him when he started laughing.

"I love you," Neji said.

"I know. I love you too you secret softy," Tenten said.

Neji chuckled. They continued the walk back to the apartment which wouldn't be theirs in two months. Their last stop for the night was talking to Tenten's landlord who congratulated her after getting up from a faint.

They strode back into the apartment at twenty minutes after six: wedding planned, house bought, and on the way to start the newest chapter of their lives. Tenten settled onto the couch while Neji walked into the kitchen to begin cooking dinner.

Today had gone a completely different route then she had planned but she couldn't be happier. Saturday would be the day which would top today but really, she couldn't wait until Sunday. Then they could enjoy their new life.

* * *

Haha, they're good like that. I always picture Tenten and Neji as this super organized couple, like not only does everything have a place but they can plan an event in a day (snorts) because they're so freaking organized and logical.

I mean, sure, Tenten's a little less neat than Neji's anal retentive self but she can still get a plan together within seconds. They're the couple that would make a power-point about the best reasons to do anything then give a presentation of it.

Reviews welcome. More plot coming soon and potentially more BDSM sex.


	8. Planning

**Planning**

 **Author's note:** The week before the wedding. Nuff said I think. ;)

 **WARNING:** Exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji _lives_. They're 20 in this plot-filled "just bondage sex" story.

* * *

"I should call Neji,"

Tenten ignored Ino's groan. Sakura giggled while Temari snorted. Tenten was pretty sure Hinata rolled her eyes but the light was at the wrong angle and it was difficult to tell with Hyuuga when they rolled their eyes.

"He's fine, I'm sure," Ino said.

Tenten frowned. After dinner last night they had picked out colors to paint the house. The kitchen would stay the same color while the sitting room and hallways would be painted a pale gray that had blue hints in it. Their bedroom was going to be gold with a burgundy focus wall where the headboard of their bed would go.

There bathroom was going to stay white but have gold highlights. The main bathroom's walls had to be painted pale blue and the nursery, the room directly across from their room would be yellow. The other three rooms would be left white for now.

Neji, Kiba, Naruto, Shikamaru, Lee, Shino, Sai, and Choji were picking up all the paint and doing the painting today while she went out dress shopping. Tenten _wanted_ to be right there watching the painting process even though she knew it would be a stupid idea because of paint fumes and her being pregnant.

"But what if he paints something the wrong color?" Tenten asked.

"You put paint samples on _every_ wall," Temari told her.

"Then circled the right colors on the sample sheet," Ino went on.

"Plus this is _Neji_. He won't be talked into some other color and he'll kick the guys out and do it himself if they bug him too much," Sakura said.

"Neji-niisan is _fine_ ,"

Wow, Tenten had irritated Hinata. This feat was almost impossible but then again Hinata was pregnant and hormones did affect mood. Tenten had read that fact in one of the baby books they had bought after getting paint samples.

"Besides, the place doesn't have phone service yet," Ino said.

"I should get that hooked up," Tenten muttered.

"Kami, _dress_ first. Your wedding is in four days," Temari said.

Tenten blinked. Oh yeah. Her wedding was in four days. Really, it was great she and Neji could do so much so quickly but now she had a lot on her mind between the wedding, getting their new home ready, and moving out of the apartment.

"Besides you have until February first to move out of the apartment and into the new place," Sakura said.

"Yeah I guess," Tenten said.

"It doesn't _all_ have to be done at once," Hinata said.

Tenten blinked. They _had_ missed something.

"Wedding bands," Tenten said.

"You can shop for them with him tomorrow," Ino said.

But that was _tomorrow._ They still had a lot of jobs to get done and she was on a time limit. There would be so much she could do once she started getting bigger. By February she would be seven months pregnant. The twins were due in April.

"But the wedding is Saturday," Tenten said.

"And it's Tuesday," Temari reminded her.

Tenten huffed. Ino held up a golden colored kimono and Tenten stared at it. The kimono had a black obi and red flowers but...  
"Too pale gold and the flowers are too small," Tenten said.

Ino snorted but put the kimono back. Hinata offered another kimono. Tenten shook her head

"The obi's too wide and it's dark gray, not black. Plus the flowers look stupid. Seriously, I should call Neji to see how he's doing,"

Tenten bit her lip as all four stared at her. Ino shook her head, Sakura rolled her eyes, Temari groaned, and Hinata sighed.

"Jeez, I never thought you would need to be attached to the hip," Ino said and held up another kimono.

"Too dark gold, the flowers are more purple than burgundy and don't get me started on how I hate big sleeves. We're not attached at the hip. It's just, he's painting _our_ house and I want to make sure he's doing it right."

Ino put the kimono back. Sakura held up another kimono as she spoke:

"Tenten, again this is _Neji_ we're talking about. You know, Mr. Control Freak who's started to really rub off on you."

Sakura smiled when Tenten huffed at her. Sakura gave the kimono in her hands a light shake.

"Obi's too small, flowers are too red, and I hate the low collar. I _know_ he's practically perfect but still. I just want to be there, you know? I mean it's our house. It's a big milestone."

Temari sighed and pulled a kimono off the rack. She turned to Tenten who blinked.

"A milestone you unfortunately can't participate in because you're pregnant? What's wrong with this one?"

Temari held up the kimono and Tenten stared.

"The colors are perfect but the sleeves are too damned long, the flowers look ugly, and the collar is too damned low. Keep it for color reference. I know I'm pregnant and can't actually paint but I want to watch."

Temari slung the kimono over one arm. Ino put back the one she had in her hands as did Sakura and Hinata. Temari smirked at the other three girls. Tenten sighed.

"And besides, I kind of want to be moved into the new place by Sunday so we don't have to worry about anything," Tenten said.

"Are you nuts?" Ino asked.

"Nope, Lee and Guy have rubbed off on her," Sakura mentioned.

Tenten had to grin at Sakura's casual remark. Temari rolled her eyes, Ino face planted into some kimono and Hinata giggled.

"I mean, I can seal everything into a scroll in a day and we can have it all in the new place within two. Tomorrow we can go ring shopping in the morning, get Neji's clothes, and start packing things up. Wednesday and Thursday can be spent both packing and unpacking then bam, we're good," Tenten said.

"What about your hair and make-up for Saturday?" Ino said.

Tenten sighed. Okay, so they had forgotten little details. Who knew?

"Right, that," Tenten said.

Ino rolled her eyes. Sakura and Temari tsked. Hinata was concentrated on a kimono in her hands.

"We can do that the morning of," Ino said.

"Thanks," Tenten said.

"But _how_ do you want to do your hair? Leave it up; keep it down, veil, no veil? What?" Ino questioned.

Tenten blinked.

"Can't I keep it in my braided buns then attach a veil?"

Ino opened her mouth, closed it then hummed in thought. Temari shrugged.

"It would be perfect. We could put a fancy hair comb with an attached veil between the buns at the back of her head and make the buns a little smaller so more hair would fall down her neck. Hell, we could not finish the braid down the back of her neck," Temari said.

"Oh that would be pretty," Sakura muttered.

"This?" Hinata asked.

Tenten stared at the kimono in Hinata's arms. The colors were perfect, exactly what she wanted. The sleeves weren't too long or huge, and the collar came up enough it wouldn't make her feel stupid.

"Lemme try it on," Tenten said.

She ignored Temari's light "finally" and Ino's grin. Sakura put away the kimono she had in her hands and they walked towards the fitting room area. Tenten took the kimono delicately from Hinata before stepping into a room. She changed quickly and scowled at the fact there was no mirror in here. Tenten stepped out of the room and her friends stopped chatting to stare.

Ino started tearing up. Temari beamed while Hinata turned pink and started smiling. Sakura giggled softly and had tears in her eyes. Tenten raised an eyebrow before turning to the mirror. She smiled.

The kimono fit her perfectly, the collar a bit lower than normal but not indecently low. The sleeves clung to her arms well and only flared out right at the ends of her wrists and not a lot. The burgundy flowers were calla lilies, Neji's favorite and flowed from her left ankle up to her right hip the exact way she wanted.

The black obi contrasted perfectly against the gold. There was even a burgundy lining on the inside of her sleeves and on the outer edges of the collars and sleeves themselves. It was made of pure silk and felt like heaven against her skin. Plus it was the perfect length, needing no alterations.

"Hinata, it's perfect," Tenten said.

Ino had come to stand beside her to look at the price tag. Ino winced.

"It's also thirty thousand ryo," Ino said.

"Yours was fifty. Even with this we've spent ninety thousand," Tenten said.

Ino groaned as the other three laughed.

"Don't even. We've still got half the caterer to pay plus a bit more on the venue. That's not even including wedding bands. We'll hit two hundred thousand ryo easy," Ino said.

"See, that's why you get married the Team Guy way," Tenten said.

Ino swatted her but Tenten didn't care. She got changed quickly then paid for her beautiful kimono. They walked into the shoe store next door and Tenten found the perfect zori sandals. Their next stop was an actual wedding store where they found a hair comb with burgundy and gold gems attached to an off white veil. Tenten didn't mind spending the ten thousand ryo on it then realized she was set.

"That's an even hundred thousand. Neji's stuff won't cost much. I mean he's got enough fancy black pants to match and he's pulling a Naruto in being not entirely traditional. All he needs is a top piece to match. Oh and yeah, wedding bands," Tenten said.

"Urg, I can't believe you guys are going to married for at most a hundred and fifty thousand ryo," Ino said.

"I can't believe they did what, a month's worth of planning in a day," Temari muttered.

"I can't believe you might actually be able to pull off moving into the new place before the wedding," Sakura said.

"I can't believe how cute that onesie is," Hinata said.

They all looked to the Uzumaki woman who was gushing over a pink onesie in a baby store. Tenten snickered with Temari. Ino rubbed her forehead but Sakura grinned.

"You broke the combo, Hinata," Ino said.

"Hm? Oh, sorry, but look! It's fuzzy and pink with white lace, and it has an attached bib and the wittle _feet_ have bowties on them," Hinata gushed.

Tenten looked. She felt sick but shook her head.

"If any of you get me _anything_ that cute I'll burn it," Tenten said.

"Aw but Tenten," Hinata said with a pout.

"With fire," Tenten said.

"Aw come on! What if you have twin girls?" Ino questioned.

"Then kill it with senbon,"

"It's even got bows on the butt flap," Temari mentioned.

"Then stick it with kunai,"

"And the fact it _has_ a butt flap," Sakura said.

"Then get Neji to Vacuum Palm it into a gorge,"

Tenten grinned as they deadpanned. Hinata walked into the store to keep gushing over the onesie with Sakura, Ino, and Temari beside. Tenten glanced around the baby store then hummed.

"We do need baby stuff," Tenten said.

"That's sort of something you do together," Temari said.

They all winced when Sakura frowned. Tenten regretted not filling Sasuke up with senbon. At least it would have put him into the hospital for a few days which might've given Sakura the time to convince her husband not to leave her _pregnant_ and alone.

"Sorry," Temari said.

"It's okay, he'll be back," Sakura said.

Her brightness didn't quite reach her eyes. None of them mentioned it. Hinata bought the onesie.

"Can we seriously go check on the guys?" Tenten questioned.

They all groaned. Tenten raised an eyebrow at them.

"Fine, jeez," Temari grumbled.

Tenten led the way. The shops melted to apartment complexes which then shifted into houses. Tenten kept her grin back when the girls started gaping in awe at the places surrounding them.

"You live here?" Sakura asked.

"Will be living here by Friday hopefully," Tenten corrected.

"Man, it's so, so, perfect," Ino got out.

"Yeah," Temari said.

Tenten smiled. She found _her_ house and walked the girls through the double wide wooden gate between their cement fence. Tenten raised an eyebrow. The kitchen window and front door were wide open. She could hear Kiba's club music floating out of the windows and the chatter of guys.

Tenten walked into the front door and blinked. She grinned when she spotted a shirtless Neji turn to her and lift an eyebrow in question. His hair was done up in a messy bun, his dark jogging pants rode low on his hips, his feet were bare, and he had paint streaks across his chest as well as on one cheek. A gray bandana kept the hair which normally framed his face back as well as covered his curse seal.

"Afternoon ladies," Kiba said.

He was shirtless too. Hell, all of them were even Lee. Choji was in the hallway painting with Shino. Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Neji were painting the living room walls while Lee was cleaning the floors. Sai was nowhere in sight. The triple wide sliding doors in the sitting room were wide open to allow air flow and Tenten noticed the other kitchen window was open. She could hardly smell the fumes.

"Wow, this place is _huge_ ," Temari said.

Temari stepped deeper into the home, glancing around in wonder. Shikamaru muttered his word and went back to painting with a bored expression on his face.

"It's awesome," Sakura said.

"Where's Sai?" Ino questioned.

Sai popped his head out of the nursery with a smile. Ino giggled at him.

"He wanted to paint teddy bears and flowers along the upper trim," Neji said.

Tenten grinned as Ino cooed at her fiancée. Neji's words registered fully and Tenten gaped.

"The nursery's painted?" Tenten asked.

"Well, once Sai is finished with the trim, yes. So is our bedroom. We left the hallways and living area for last," Neji said.

Tenten chuckled. She hadn't had to worry. Tenten strode across her bare floors then wrapped her arms around Neji's waist to snuggle into his back. He chuckled at her.

"I've got my kimono, my headpiece, sandals, and the girls are going to make me pretty Saturday morning," Tenten said.

"You are all ready beautiful," Neji said.

Snorts from more than a few of their friends but Tenten didn't care. She rubbed Neji's abs and chest before kissing his back. He smelled like paint and tasted of sweat but she didn't care one bit.

"We still have to pick out wedding bands for both of us, get your top, pick out the right pants, and maybe go shopping for nursery furniture," Tenten said.

"Hn, you do realize we have months before we have to be in here, correct?"

"We've been telling her that," Ino mentioned.

"It hasn't worked," Temari added.

Tenten stuck her tongue out at them before swatting Neji's shoulder when he chuckled.

"I _know_ but if we can get in here and settled before the wedding then we can start doing the renovations we talked about on the yard before I get too big where I can't help," Tenten said.

Neji hummed in agreement. He shrugged.

"We'll see," Neji said.

Tenten huffed before giving him a final kiss. She pulled away then swatted his ass before turning on her heel and walking towards the girls. Her motions made everyone chuckle and she turned to Neji who had raised an eyebrow at her, a little grin on his face.

"I'm going back to the apartment to start sealing stuff into scrolls. When do you think you'll be done here?" Tenten asked.

"Probably in like an hour," Kiba answered for Neji.

"Hn," Neji agreed.

"Good, Neji, meet me at that sushi place we like then we'll go shopping for everything else," Tenten said.

Neji nodded. Tenten grinned before leading the girls through the rest of the house. All four kept gaping in awe at each room, gushing over the nursery then giggling over the bedroom.

"Okay, why so many rooms?" Temari asked when they reached the end of the hallway.

"Uh, we're all ready having twins," Tenten said.

"You'll still have two extra rooms," Ino said.

"I know but if we don't have another kid then we can turn them into a guest room and a weapons room," Tenten said.

Temari nodded. Tenten saw Hinata looking a bit paler than normal and frowned. The smell of paint fumes in the air was getting to the Uzumaki.

"Let's go back to my old place," Tenten said.

They waved at the guys who returned greetings and walked back to the apartment. Halfway there Hinata started to look better and Tenten let out a little breath. She put all her wedding stuff into one bag before hanging it up in her closet. The girls went their own way while Tenten washed her face to wake up. She started getting tired around lunch time but couldn't take a nap today. There was too much to do.

Neji beat her to the sushi place. He had undone his hair, cleaned up the paint on his face, and changed his clothes. She kissed his cheek before sitting and he smiled. Tenten liked that their meal was nice and they talked about the painting of their house. Neji said he had left all the windows open for now but would swing by after dinner to close the place up.

They agreed to check on the fume smell tomorrow morning to see if they could start moving in. Tenten smiled at Neji paid for their meal and they headed towards a men's formal clothing store. Neji decided to buy a new pair of black pants but these ones had gold trimming on the ankles. His montsuki kimono and jacket were black but lined with gold. He would wear a burgundy haori himo, a gold juban kimono and gold under collar.

It cost thirty thousand ryo which brought their total cost so far to a hundred and thirty thousand ryo. Tenten wanted to laugh but kept it to herself as they strode into a jewellery store. She did giggle when she saw they were having a "buy one and get one half off" deal on wedding bands.

"It is like this is fate," Neji muttered.

"Hey, we talked about you and that f-word," Tenten said.

Neji chuckled but bent so his mouth was almost pressed against her ear.

"So sorry, _Mistress_ ," Neji said with a purr.

Tenten gulped as the heat spread through her body and centered on her groin. Her nipples perked up and she felt moisture between her legs. She supposed this was his payback for her spanking him earlier.

"Hello,"

The man behind one of the glass displays smiled at them, breaking Tenten from her thoughts. Neji returned the man's greeting and told him why they were here. They were led over to the display case with the wedding bands.

"May I see the ring?" he asked.

Tenten held out her left hand and the man smiled. He shook his head with a little laugh and Tenten stared at him, trying not to look confused. She did see Neji's eyebrows knit and his lips formed a little perplexed frown.

"You know, it's funny, we just got silver and gold woman _and_ men's matching bands in yesterday. They both have an etching of two dragons with black opals."

Tenten gave Neji a look. Neji mouthed the word "fate" so she swatted him. He chuckled at her so she rolled her eyes. The rings in question were brought out of the case and the jeweller held both up to them. Tenten stared.

Okay, maybe she was going to start believing in fate. The woman's ring was slender but pretty with silver at the top of the band and gold at the bottom. Two dragons curled around the solid band, their heads and front paws clasping a small deep set black opal. The men's ring was thicker than the woman's but had the same silver at the top and gold at the bottom with the same dragons clutching the same deep set black opal, though a bit bigger.

"You can say it," Tenten said.

"It is fate," Neji said.

The jeweller laughed. He offered her the men's ring and Neji the women's. Tenten felt her cheeks heat but was happy Neji's cheeks had gone pink. Neji delicately put the ring on her finger above her engagement ring. The wedding band was too big and she giggled. She put his ring on and found his to be loose.

"Aw, almost," the jeweller said.

"How much for the rings themselves and for sizing?" Neji asked.

"The woman's is fifteen thousand ryo, the men's is twelve but with the deal you'd be paying full price for the woman's and six for the men's. Sizing is free this week," The jeweller replied.

"Hn, can you have them done by Friday sometime?" Neji questioned.

The jeweller's eyebrows went up.

"Last minute, huh?" He returned.

"Actually we planned the entire wedding Monday and are getting married Saturday," Tenten said.

The jeweller gaped as she grinned and Neji smirked. The jeweller smiled before nodding.

"I'll get them done but I'll have to charge one thousand for the rush," he said.

"Not a problem, so that is twenty-two thousand ryo?" Neji enquired.

The jeweller nodded. Neji wrote out the check and Tenten pouted when they had to give back the rings. The steel band to size her finger looked plain against her ring but she wore it until the man got the proper size. Neji said nothing as his finger was sized. Their names were taken down, authenticity certificate signed and Neji paid for a life-time warranty which meant free ring cleaning every six months.

They were back on the street at four in the afternoon: outfits for the wedding bought, Tenten's hair and make-up taken care of, wedding bands bought, house painted, and everything falling into place perfectly.

"I kind of have this feeling something's going to go wrong," Tenten said.

"Hn," Neji agreed.

The sky opened up a moment later and they both looked up as freezing cold rain burst over them. Instantly they were soaked right through their light clothes. Tenten snorted but jogged beside Neji as they headed back to the apartment. Go figure soon as she opened her big mouth something bad would happen.

* * *

Tenten sneezed. She groaned when it made her head throb and make her leak a little. Being pregnant was bad enough. Now because of yesterday's rain storm she had caught a cold. Stupid, well, everything.

"I can still pack," Neji told her.

He was packing up his clothes. It was funny because they had _just_ unpacked him before Temari's wedding but hadn't gotten rid of the boxes yet.

"Besides, the house still smells of paint since I had to go back and make sure nothing got soaked once you were back here," Neji said.

He folded a shirt and tucked it into a box. Tenten watched from the bed with a frown on her face and trying not to pout. Neji smiled at her. Sure, _he_ hadn't gotten sick with his Hyuuga genes and non-pregnant body. He had even been running around in the downpour longer than her. Curse his Hyuuga genes.

"Lee, Kiba, and Choji will be here in an hour to help me move all the books and clothes to the new place," Neji went on.

Neji had spent most of last night packing while she snoozed on the couch from when they had got in until Neji brought her to bed. Hell, he had been up at five this morning to keep packing.

"Then Lee and Kiba will move the living area while Choji and I pack the kitchen."

She pouted. She could have done the move in _one_ trip if she wasn't sick.

"Then everything will be moved into the house except the bed. We'll stay here tonight then move then bed in the morning."

Okay, so they would still have everything from her apartment into the house before Friday. Still. The moving would have been _her_ glory as she could have just sealed everything into one big scroll. But no, fate had to be mean and make her sick.

"I'll get us take out for dinner tonight and tomorrow morning,"

"Stupid,"

"It is fine so long as you are not still sick for the wedding,"

Neji smiled at her when she threw a used tissue at him. He caught it, winced but threw the tissue towards the garbage can. He missed. Tenten glared. Neji sighed before going over to the tissue and tossing it into the can. Tenten coughed when she wanted to grin at him.

She watched as Neji continued to pack. Noise came from the front door an hour later and Neji let the guys in. Neji began giving out directions and within moments she was left alone in her half empty room.

Neji had packed all their clothes, knickknacks, books, and other odds and ends. The wardrobe they had bought for him and her closet was empty, as was her long dresser and her night stands. They would be keeping one lamp on the floor tonight with the bed and that was it. Everything else would be in the house.

Tenten lay back in bed intending to relieve some pressure on her back but ended up falling asleep. She didn't realize this fact until she opened her eyes and saw all the furniture gone except for the one lamp and the bed. Tenten got to her feet and saw the laundry room was void of the machines and all her cleaning gear.

The bathroom had nothing but her and Neji's overnight toiletries bag and a roll of toilet paper. Even the shower curtain was gone. Tenten shut off the light in the bathroom before walking towards her sitting room and kitchen.

The sitting room was bare: couch, bookshelves, her weapons, television, the stand with the movies, center table, end tables, lamps, plants, and everything else gone. The kitchen was void of appliances, food, and everything else. Tenten blinked away tears then smiled.

Her nose was stuffed up from the cold but her head didn't hurt anymore. She didn't feel over hot or queasy which meant her cold was running its course. Tenten leaned against her bare kitchen counter since the kitchen table was gone and chuckled.

She looked up when the door opened. The smell of sesame dumplings, miso soup, and chicken filled the empty apartment as Neji walked in. He looked exhausted, hair in a messy bun which had started to come undone which left tendrils of hair down his back and over his shoulders. His white tee shirt had a few dirt stains on it as well as sweat marks under the arms and along his back and chest. His jogging pants were dirty and rumpled. He had a smudge of dirt on one cheek but he caught her eye.

Tenten grinned as instantly he straightened from the slouch, his eyes brightened, and a small smile came to his face. He let the door shut behind him before walking across the empty floor to wrap her in a hug.

"It's done," Neji said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Hn, all the books on the built in shelves in the living room, all our clothes in the walk in closet, all the pots, pans, dishes, and food in its proper place, and the living room set up. The wardrobe is in the nursery, I put the plants in the living room but you can move them. We do have to call the utility companies in the morning to switch over billing.

"The paint smell is gone so we can move the bed tomorrow and the lamp. I told your landlord we would be out sometime tomorrow and he fainted but thanked me. It means he gets an extra month's rent or something, from new people not us. I think that's it,"

Tenten kissed his cheek. He hummed but returned the gesture. They ate sitting on the middle of the floor but Tenten didn't mind. By tomorrow night they would be fully moved into their new house. Then they could buy stuff for the nursery. It would be perfect.

* * *

Tenten sighed as she watched Neji putter around the empty apartment. They had moved the bed and the lamp, Tenten had fixed the plants, and they had decided to get a bigger television and stand because hers looked ridiculously small in the big sitting room. They also wanted to get different couches and set up the beautiful nursery.

Plus there were curtains to buy as well as more dishes and food. They needed to hand in the apartment keys to the landlord then go see Yuna at the Amber Dragon about the cake to make sure it was decorated to their liking.

All this had to wait until she was off hold with the electric company. The water company had no issue putting the water in the new place under Neji's name. The electric company was giving her a hassle switching from her apartment to the new house.

"We could put it under my name," Neji offered.

"Then we're paying _another_ new customer charge," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

His annoyed sound. The crappy part had been the fact _Neji_ had to talk on the phone with the water company to set everything up then put her onto the account as his wife. It had taken almost an hour. They still had to switch her television and phone service. At least those were with the same people.

"Miss Tenten?"

"Yeah I'm still here,"

"Sorry about the wait. My supervisor says we can make the switch and add your husband on your account. We do need a copy of the marriage certificate once you have it though,"

"Thank you. I can bring it in on Sunday,"

"Okay, we're open between noon and five. The power should be coming on at the house sometime before five this evening,"

"Thanks,"

"You're welcome and thank you for being such a loyal customer. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

"No, thanks, bye,"

Tenten hung up her phone and rubbed her forehead. Next, the cable company which also took care of her phone service. She dialed the number and selected the right option, watching as Neji sat in the middle of the empty sitting room to meditate. She smiled at him.

After the wedding they would set up a joint bank account then make it so all the bills would come out of that account. Tenten got a person and explained the situation. This was another half an hour but she was assured the phone and the cable service would be switched over by five tonight.

"Done," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

His "I just meditated and now I'm happy" sound. Tenten snorted at him. They took a final look around the apartment then headed downstairs. They had to come up _again_ when the landlord took a look around. She did get her five thousand ryo security deposit back.

"Let's go to the Amber Dragon," Tenten said.

"Hn," Neji agreed.

Tenten held his hand in hers as they strode down to the market place. It didn't take long to get to the Amber Dragon and get to Yuna. Tenten smiled at the shorter, chunky woman who dressed amazingly in a traditional yukata with her hair styled perfectly.

Yuna owned the Amber Dragon and would pass it down to her kids when she was tired of running the place. She bowed low to them when she spotted them and gestured them into the kitchen happily.

"Oh, you're allowing yourself to show! May I rub your belly for good luck?" Yuna asked.

There were stars in her eyes and Tenten couldn't help but smile.

"Sure," Tenten said.

Yuna giggled before gently touching Tenten's little bump softly. Tenten couldn't help but chuckle and saw Neji take his proud peacock pose. Tenten felt a little jolt, a hiccup, and Yuna smiled.

"Thank you so much, Tenten-san, come let us see the baker," Yuna said.

They spoke with the baker, an older man, short with graying brown hair but sharp brown eyes. He showed them all the different designs he could do and Tenten was amazed at his work. They agreed on having the middle tier of the cake be frosted with burgundy icing with gold along the bottoms of all three tiers. A plethora of orchid like flowers in gold and burgundy would start at the top of the cake and flow down one side.

"Good, good, and it will not have to be transported," the baker said with smile.

Tenten grinned along with him and they went over some menu items. They ended up having lunch at the restaurant before heading towards a baby store. As soon as she stepped into the store other women started asking her questions about when she was due, if they could touch her belly, and if she knew what her twins were.

They didn't make it out until almost four but had a changing table, two cribs in white, a double stroller, two high chairs, bottles, and other various supplies Tenten sealed in a scroll for easy carry. They got take out on the way home and Tenten grinned when she summoned everything into the nursery. It took them until eight to eat and set up the nursery and when they were finished, Tenten flopped onto their stupidly small couch with a sigh.

"Urg, I wanted to get the living room done too," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

Neji's indifferent sound. She almost complained but he had pushed her onto her back on the couch. She thought he was going to ravish her but instead he picked up her legs, put them over his lap and began massaging her right foot.

Tenten groaned in pleasure as his talented hands rubbed out her sore feet. She did feel the hum of chakra and saw Neji had his Byakugan activated. She smirked then arched upwards with a gasp as he kept massaging.

"Tomorrow is Thursday," Neji said as he rubbed her foot.

"We have plenty of time to get curtains and living room furniture,"

"Uh-huh,"

"It will not take us long to install it all either,"

"Mmm,"

"You don't care right now, do you?"

Tenten grinned when he chuckled at her.

"Can't say that I do," Tenten said.

Neji kissed her toes but kept massaging. Tenten let out a long sigh of bliss and closed her eyes as he got rid of the soreness, tension, and other painful bits in both her feet. When he was done, his powerful hands ran up to her ankles. She watched him through lidded eyes as he began massaging up her legs.

She grinned when he lightly tickled the back of her knees. Neji had shifted so he straddled her lower legs as his hands worked up her fishnet stockings and under her qipao dress. Tenten licked her lips when Neji's hands skirted under her panties, his right thumb tracing over her clit. His eyebrow had come up in question. She nodded.

Neji smiled as he pulled down her panties and stockings. They were tossed onto the table but Tenten was more concerned on watching as Neji pushed up her dress and lowered his head. She spread her legs as best she could and Neji kissed her clit, sucking softly, before moving to lap at her folds.

Tenten grabbed his hair in one hand and thrust up into him. She let out a gasp as he continued to lick and suck against her. Tenten put her free arm over her eyes as Neji kept eating her out, using his lips, his tongue, his nose and his chin at different intervals to pleasure her. Tenten had no complaints and could barely keep a thought straight as he worked.

She came with a loud grunt and flushed when she felt Neji sucking at her folds, delving his tongue into her to get all of her wetness. Tenten lifted her arm off her face to watch as Neji moved. He tugged his pants down one handed before entering her in one thrust.

"Ah, shit, yes," Tenten moaned.

"So tight," Neji said softly.

His eyes had closed but the Byakugan was still activated. He had shifted so one arm was wrapped around her body, trapped between the back of the couch and her. His other hand had come to rest at the side of her head. Neji hovered above her, his chest and stomach above hers by a few scant centimeters. She wrapped her legs around his waist, his arms around his chest, and tried to pull him down.

"The kids," Neji muttered.

"Right," Tenten said.

Neji smiled but kissed her. She returned the kiss, tasting herself on his lips but not caring. Neji began moving against her, slowly at first then speeding up. Tenten pushed up against him, clenching her hands in his shirt. Neji broke the kiss so they could breathe. She managed to open her eyes to see Neji's Byakugan was still active, his eyes closed, lips parted and cheeks tinged pink.

Neji licked his lips as Tenten watched and she felt the tickle of his breath against her entire face. He kept ramming into her into her smoothly, using his hand under her body to rub her back as he moved. She felt chakra against her back and shifted into him with a short gasp. Oh Kami, he was using his chakra to hit pleasure points!

"Neji,"

He kissed her lips, pushing his tongue into her and she wrapped a hand through his hair to tug on it. Her other hand went down to spank him as he pushed. Neji's thrusts sped up again and started to become wild.

Heat had gathered in her groin again while sweat soaked her dress. Neji broke the kiss to pant heavily, wetly, into her face but she didn't mind one bit. Tenten shifted her head to nibble on his neck and he groaned. She let out a short yelp when she came again. Neji moaned after her and she felt him release inside.

Tenten got her eyes open to see Neji shivering above her, still keeping his body hovering above hers. His eyes were closed, Byakugan active, as he took deep breaths and tried in vain to control his breathing. Tenten ran her fingers through his hair and smiled when his eyes opened. He didn't deactivate his Byakugan.

"Why are you keeping that on?" Tenten questioned.

Neji's cheeks went pinker. Tenten smiled up at him. Neji let out a breath before shrugging.

"I wanted to keep a watch on our children," Neji said.

He couldn't get any cuter if he tried. Tenten kissed his nose and he hummed.

"Aw, cutie,"

Neji chuckled at her. He shifted but lifted her into his arms. Tenten giggled as he carried her into their bedroom and lay her on the bed before stripping her naked. She watched as he got naked then left the room. Tenten yawned and tried not to lie fully down. She knew if she did, the moment her head hit the pillow she would fall asleep. Tenten failed.

* * *

"More room for sex,"

Tenten grinned when Neji's cheeks went pink. They were looking at a couch, dark gray fabric and shaped in a sort of horseshoe pattern. One side of the horse shoe was completely flat so a person could lie down in full while the other side had a proper back and cushions like the middle section. It came with two matching chairs, a large, low dark oak table, and two tall lamps which would fit perfectly at each joining corner.

"Shall we then?" Neji asked.

Tenten nodded. They flagged down a store worker to make sure they could get the full set. It took them another hour to find a television and stand but Tenten sealed it all into a scroll after paying. They walked out to stunned store associates and civilians.

It took Neji a bit of muscle power to push all their old stuff out the living room doors so she could summon the new stuff into place. Neji collapsed onto the couch when it was out and she snorted at him. He grunted when she landed atop him, smiling at his amused look.

"Hi," Tenten said.

"Hello, can we do _nothing_ for the rest of the day now?"

"Aw, I was thinking kinky sex,"

"I meant besides the obvious kinky sex,"

"We can have kinky sex,"

Tenten giggled when he shook his head at her.

"What I mean is there anything else you want to get done before we get married in two days?"

Tenten hummed then shifted so she could prop her upper body up by her forearms resting on his chest. She raised a hand in front of his face.

"The house is painted,"

Her pointer finger on her left hand came up.

"We've moved everything from the apartment into the house,"

Middle finger of her left hand.

"I got my dress, my veil, and you got your kimono,"

Tenten raised her left ring finger then took a moment to admire her ring. Neji kissed her palm. She smiled.

"We got out wedding bands,"

Her pinkie finger went up.

"The venue for both the wedding and reception is picked out, all guest informed, and everything set for Saturday,"

Her thumb extended.

"We got the nursery set up and bought a bunch of baby gear, minus outfits cuz we can totally do that later,"

Index finger on her right hand came up.

"We switched over all the utilities,"

Middle finger on her right hand extended.

"Got new furniture and everything is unpacked and in place,"

Right hand ring finger. Neji kept watching her, one eyebrow up. Tenten considered.

"We bought more dishes, installed curtains and blinds in every room, and have my old end tables set up under the two hallway windows ready for plants,"

Her right hand pinkie finger extended. Neji let out a breath then yawned. He blinked. She kissed the tip of his nose with a smile in place. Neji snorted at her.

"We do have to make a joint account and give the cable and electric company our marriage certificate then move all the bills to be pulled from the joint account but all that can wait until Sunday or Monday,"

Neji hummed. Tenten grinned as he licked his lips.

"So, kinky sex?" Neji asked.

"Kinky sex,"

Neji grinned then lifted her into his arms. She laughed as he carried her into the bedroom. Neji hummed before leaving the room and she blinked. He had turned towards the living room. Tenten grinned when she heard the clatter of their horizontal blinds closing over the immense window in the sitting room.

She heard Neji lock their front door then heard him flick on their new lamps. The kitchen blinds were closed and she watched as he strode by the bedroom door. Tenten could _almost_ make out the sound of him closing the two horizontal blinds at the ends of the hallway. Tenten giggled when he stepped back into the room.

She stopped when Neji pulled off his shirt. He tossed it into the laundry hamper followed quickly by his pants and boxers. His bandana was placed on the dresser. Neji picked up his brush from their dresser and a hair tie before coming to the bed, shifting until he was kneeling in the middle of it with his hands extended to offer her the brush and hair tie. One of his elegant eyebrows had raised and he had an amused smirk on his face.

Tenten pulled off her dress, stockings, and bra before getting in behind Neji to brush his hair. She braided it down his back and he hummed softly as she rubbed his shoulders. She kissed his neck before licking his earlobe. Neji shivered against her and she giggled in his ear.

"What do you want?" Tenten questioned.

"My collar, the posture corset, and, ah, perhaps we can use the cuffs from the posture collar as ankle restraints, Mistress?"

Oh she liked his creativity.

"You've got it,"

She saw him lick his lips as she got off the bed to get their toy box. Tenten easily unravelled the scroll and summoned what he wanted. She put him into the posture corset first, binding his arms tight to his lower back. Neji arched in pleasure as his breathing started to increase. Tenten put his collar on, keeping the chain hanging down his back.

It turned out they could use the cuffs from the posture collar as ankle cuffs so long as they used a different chain. Tenten cuffed his ankles then connected them with a two foot length of chain.

"What else?"

"The blue butt plug, the ball gag, and, um, the nipple clamps, please Mistress,"

Wow. He was going all out tonight. Tenten patted his shoulder in agreement and he smiled. She clamped his nipples first, leaving off the chain but he didn't complain. Neji purred when she pushed him forward.

"Make this easy on me," Tenten said.

Instantly he shifted so his butt was high in the air and his hands pulled his cheeks apart to reveal his puckered hole. Tenten smiled as she donned the leather glove, lubed it up, and pressed her index finger against his hole.

"Ah, Mistress, um, may I have the ball gag first?"

Tenten snorted but complied. Neji quivered in pleasure when she put the gag over his face, making sure it was tight against him. His eyes closed and he nuzzled against her upper thigh in thanks. Tenten kissed the back of his head before going back to his ass.

He thrust back against her as she stretched him, giving a muffled blissful moan when she worked the butt plug into him. She gave him a spank and he groaned, pushing back for more. Tenten smiled before swatting him again which elicited another strangled pleasure sound from him.

"You want my bare hand tonight?"

Neji nodded.

"You want me to lead you around our house?"

Another enthusiastic nod. Tenten kissed his shoulders, turning his head to kiss his cheeks then his forehead. Neji rubbed his head against her thighs in thanks so she kissed the back of his head. She had to help him shift since his ankles were bound but he was on his feet moments later.

Tenten shifted his collar so the chain hung down his chest then took the end of the chain in her right hand. Neji followed when she led him out of the room.

"Walk beside me. I want to see you,"

Neji fell into step beside her as she led him towards their living room. He couldn't take the long steps he normally employed but Neji simply adjusted, moving regally despite being bound and gagged. Tenten shifted the leash to her left hand as he fell into step on her right. She grinned as he quivered in pleasure.

Tenten kept in step with him, giving him a smack on the ass every few steps. The smack caused him to grunt, moan, or groan every time and close his eyes as he thrust his chest forward.

Tenten couldn't help but watch the way he moved. The dim light from their lamps danced over corded muscles, damp with sweat, as his cock bobbed in front of him with every step, wet with precum. His breathing came out heavy which made the nipple clamps glitter since they shifted with every breath.

Neji's pert butt clenched around the butt plug as he moved forward, body trembling in pleasure, muscles straining, and sweat soaking his flesh. Tenten knew he wouldn't make a full circle around their living room. He was hardly able to make it around the room of her old apartment. He would damn well try.

She raised an eyebrow when he paused at the corner of the room, the windows to his right and the front of the house in front of him. The television sat against the front wall, all their books against the back wall that was shared with their walk-in closet in the bedroom. Tenten rubbed his butt cheek and he looked at her.

White eyes were glazed over in pleasure. Sweat had coated his bare forehead and some of the short hairs framing his face stuck to his cheeks and forehead. His nostrils kept flaring as he breathed and Tenten watched a bead of sweat rolled down his chest to disappear somewhere under the corset.

"Do you want to stop?"

Neji shook his head.

"Need to catch your breath?"

He nodded. Tenten smiled at him before brushing some hair out of his face. Neji shifted until he leaned partially against her and she kissed his cheek. He nuzzled against her and she giggled at him. After a few minutes Neji started walking again. Tenten followed beside him as he strode to her right, around their new shelves and their television.

She kept his leash in her left hand so it crossed over her little bump and smacked his ass with her right hand when she wanted. He had to take another break in front of their stove. Tenten didn't mind as Neji stood in place, breathing heavily, soaked in sweat, cock bouncing in impatience.

His tip had gone red and his shaft was deep pink. Precum gathered at the tip then dripped down his shaft, catching in his pubic hair which was soaked in sweat in precum. His sack didn't hang as low since he was ready to burst.

"We can christen the kitchen if you like,"

Neji blinked at her. Tenten waited while he considered. She almost laughed as his eyes shifted towards their bedroom then glanced around the kitchen. His eyes met hers and she smiled. Neji swallowed, hard, and she watched his throat working. Sweat ran down his neck and she watched it roll over his shoulders.

Finally, he nodded.

Tenten got him to take a few more steps before she leaned against the counter. Neji watched as she took her panties off. He flushed when she cheekily tucked them into his corset. Tenten shifted until she could sit atop the counter then spread her legs.

She pointed to her groin, raising an eyebrow, and he nodded. Neji stepped forward and she had to help him aim into her wet center. She groaned when he pierced her then moved forward to wrap her legs tight around his body. Neji's Byakugan activated but she said nothing. She did smile when he nuzzled into the crook of her neck.

He began thrusting. Tenten had to hold him tight, the chain wrapped around her left wrist while her hands wrapped around Neji's chest. Neji moved solidly against her, forcing her butt to slip back and forth along their counter. She could feel the nipple clamps against her breasts, pressing into her. Even so, Neji kept his stomach from smacking against hers too hard and she grinned at the thought.

He didn't stop ramming into her as hard as he could; knowing even pregnant she could take it. She did love he wanted to keep an eye on their kids as they had sex though. It took a lot of concentration for him to do it plus a decent amount of chakra mixed with controlling the chakra so he didn't hurt either of them.

He could manage though and she knew it.

"Come when you need," Tenten said.

Neji groaned into her but not one of his release sounds. He kept moving forward, eyes closing, the veins around his eye predominate as he shifted to bring her to completion. Tenten didn't last long. The fact they were in the kitchen and he was bound so didn't help. She came with a short shout and felt Neji release into her.

Sex without a condom was freaking awesome. She was going to take advantage of feeling his seed burst into her for the next five months. Neji almost fell to the ground as he came down from his high but she kept him upright. He rubbed the ball gag against her shoulder and she snickered but took it off.

"Thank you, Mistress," Neji said between gasps.

"You're welcome. Anything else you want off?"

Neji shook his head then leaned against her shoulder. Tenten rubbed his back and he hummed into her, kissing her neck gently. Tenten felt a wave of tired and yawned.

"Bedroom, Mistress?" Neji asked.

"Yeah, sorry,"

"It's fine,"

Neji smiled at her when she looked at him. It took a moment for them to part then for Tenten to set her feet on the floor. She led Neji back to the bedroom then got him to sit on the bed. He did with a groan, arching his back forward and she kissed his upper thighs.

Tenten took off the ankle cuffs then stood to take off the nipple clamps. Neji hummed as she took off the posture corset and finally the leash and collar. She pushed him to lie on the bed and he went with a snort. She pulled the plug out of his ass then tossed everything onto the floor to clean up later.

Tenten laid on her back in bed, head against the pillows. Instantly Neji curled up on her right side and gently placed his head on her stomach. He hadn't deactivated Byakugan and she grinned at him.

One hand ended up right under her twin bump while the other curled under her back to touch her left side. She unbraided his hair while he rested against her then started running her hands through his hair.

"Did you enjoy the scene?"

"It was perfect, Tenten,"

"Good,"

"We did forget to turn off the lamps,"

"They'll be fine till morning,"

Tenten smiled when he chuckled. He was rubbing her bump now, humming softly. Tenten pursed her lips to keep from giggling more because she knew it would jolt her belly which Neji didn't want right now.

"They have strong heart beats," Neji said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Yes, and now that my head's on them they're making sucking motions with their mouths,"

"Aw, really?"

"Hn,"

Tenten giggled. He snickered with her until she calmed. He still hadn't deactivated Byakugan. Neji poked her stomach then chuckled.

"What?" Tenten asked.

"When I poked your stomach, one started sucking the thumb. I still can't tell what sex they are. They still kind of look like aliens though. Their arms and legs are almost the same length and their faces are odd looking," Neji said.

"That's mean,"

"They'll grow out of it,"

"Still, it's mean,"

Tenten kept running her hands through Neji's hair as he watched their twins. A little smile had come onto his face and he kept petting her bump. Tenten watched him with a smile on her face. He was such a softy.

"They're maybe four inches long," Neji said.

"Little peanuts,"

"Hn,"

His amused but agreeing sound. Tenten rubbed his scalp and he nuzzled into her carefully.

"Our peanuts," Neji said.

"Yeah, our peanuts. Until they're bad then they're all yours,"

"Oh thanks,"

"You're welcome,"

Tenten giggled when he snorted. She yawned again and kept petting Neji. He didn't mind in the least. She smiled as he kept watching their twins, watching her start to fall asleep, and watching whatever else might catch his three hundred and sixty degree vision. She had a feeling his eyes wouldn't stray from her or their peanuts until he fell asleep. It made her flush with joy.

They might not have had perfect lives but fate sure was making up for it now. She couldn't be happier and hoped nothing else went whacky.

* * *

D'aww, Neji. Yes, he has a different "hn" for every occasion, kind of like a cat has a different meow. Yes Neji is feline in personality...haha. Reviews welcome.


	9. Wedding Day

**Wedding Day**

 **Author's note:** Hey look, a wedding! I kind of did a 'western' style wedding theme since it will be a small wedding for the two in a briefing room decorated by Ino.

 **WARNING:** Exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji _lives_. They're 20 in this plot-filled "just bondage sex" story.

* * *

Tenten wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and swallowed down the horrible taste of bile in her throat. Go figure she would get a horrible bout of morning sickness on the morning of her wedding. A knock came to the bathroom door and Tenten glanced up. The door opened to reveal Sakura with a steaming mug of tea in her hands.

Sakura wore a pair of jogging pants and a plain tee shirt. Her hair was brushed but un-styled. The styling would be happening soon though since Tenten and Neji's wedding would be starting in five hours. Tenten leaned towards the toilet again, cursing her nerves.

"Ah, this will help settle your stomach," Sakura said.

Tenten grabbed toilet paper this time to wipe her mouth. She flushed the toilet and Sakura helped her to her feet so she could wash her face. Tenten stared at her reflection and groaned. Her skin was all blotchy, her eyes were red and puffy, and she had bags under her eyes. She looked like crap.

She hadn't slept much last night because she had been too hot. Neji had opened the window for her, dragged in a fan then wrapped himself up in their blankets since he had started getting cold. She had slept in nothing but sweat the entire night despite the cool November air blowing through their bedroom window and a fan on her.

Tenten took the tea from Sakura and sipped. It tasted like crap but Tenten drank it down as she followed Sakura into the living room where Temari and Hinata sat on the new couch. Neji was at Lee's getting ready.

Ino was decorating Briefing Room A with the guys. The blond would be done and meeting with Tenten and the girls for noon. Apparently Tenten should be ready before Ino got here. By this rate, Tenten wouldn't even be dressed.

"Nervous?" Temari asked.

"Yes, no, I don't know," Tenten said.

She sat in the middle of the couch with a sigh. Temari patted her knee as Sakura wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"You love him, you guys have a house, and you're having kids together," Sakura said.

"Yeah," Tenten muttered.

"So?" Temari questioned.

Tenten groaned. She did love Neji, really, with all of her heart: the way he did sweet little things like rub her feet when he knew they were sore, cooked her breakfast because he woke up first, picked up after her without complaint, and didn't mind the fact she used weapons to decorate instead of paintings or pictures.

She loved the way he snored ever so softly in sleep and subconsciously curled into her or the pillows if he happened to have his back to her. How he always fell asleep with his head on her stomach or chest, especially now they knew she was pregnant. He could read her like she could read him which meant he knew when to back off when she didn't want to talk or when she wanted an extra tighter hug.

They _fit_ perfectly together in every sense of the word. She could easily spend a day sharpening weapons while he meditated near her in a beam of sunlight. He didn't care she sometimes chatted to her weapons while she cleaned them, sharpened them, and resealed them. He listened to her when she talked about whatever new weapon idea had popped into her head and smiled as she talked with her hands.

Still.

"I mean, it's _totally_ official now, you know? No turning back. Not that I'd _want_ to turn back but I'll have the Hyuuga name and _everything_. It's not just like, oh we're dating you know, and having sex, and it's fun. It's like _adult_ now. Like, paying bills together and having kids and raising those kids to be good people," Tenten said.

Temari nodded as did Hinata. Sakura had a smile on her face but Tenten could tell the pinkette was thinking of the fact her husband wasn't even here. Stupid Uchiha.

"I mean, what happens if the kids don't want to be shinobi? What happens if all this adult stuff makes us realize that hey, maybe we're not as great together? I mean it's a full-fledged one hundred percent partnership in _every_ way. It's freaking me out," Tenten said.

Temari laughed at her. Hinata giggled and Sakura rolled her eyes. Tenten groaned and sat back in her big awesome couch to look towards her ceiling.

"You guys have been partners for years in some sense of the word," Temari said.

Tenten grinned. Yeah they had been partners since they were twelve: from teammates trying to avoid the insanity of Guy-sensei and Lee together to husband and wife with everything in between. Neji was her soul-mate, the yin to her yang, and her other half in probably every sense of the word.

He was logical where she was emotional. He was cool while she was warm. He was quiet where she was loud. They were perfect in harmony. Tenten rubbed her forehead but kept the smile on her face.

"I know, but still, this is _huge_ ," Tenten said.

"We know," Hinata told her.

Tenten giggled. She was sitting in a room with three women who had gone through the exact same crisis before their weddings.

"Drink your tea before it gets cold," Sakura said.

Tenten drank her tea. Neji liked his tea scalding hot while she preferred it a bit cooler so it didn't burn her tongue. Tenten wondered if Neji was having a break down at Lee's place as she swallowed her tea. She inwardly snorted.

Like Neji would have a mental break down. He was too calm and logical for that. His coolness was one of the reasons she wanted to stay with him forever. She let out a breath and smiled into her half-finished tea.

"Better?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah," Tenten said.

"Good, you keep settling while the rest of us get ready then we'll get you dressed," Temari said.

Tenten nodded. She watched as the three changed. Sakura dressed in an ankle length black skirt with a pretty pink shirt that hugged her curves and had the silhouette of a cherry blossom on it in light grays and black. Temari wore a matching black skirt but her shirt was white, button down with long sleeves that fell off her shoulders elegantly. It had the Nara crest on the back. Hinata wore a matching skirt with a pale purple sweater. All three brushed their hair and Tenten noticed their nails were all ready done to match their clothes.

Tenten let out a little breath before finishing her tea and closing her eyes as the three did their make-up. She was roused by Sakura who had carefully lined her eyes over gold eye shadow and put on light pink lip stick.

"Time to get ready," Sakura said.

Tenten smiled. She pulled on her fancy lace matching bra and panty set in black. The girls giggled at her but helped her into her kimono. Tenten sat perfectly still on the flat part of her couch as Temari brushed her hair. Sakura did her make-up while Hinata painted her nails and toes.

By eleven she was fully dressed, hair done, make-up applied, and veil in place. Tenten gushed at her reflection in the full length mirror. Her eye shadow was gold, liner thin but fanned out to give her eyes a sultry look, and mascara thick. Her lips had been painted the same shade of the flowers on her dress. Her nails were burgundy except her ring finger nails which were gold.

Her braided buns were smaller and the last six or so inches of her hair fell between the buns in soft curls, held down by the hair comb. Her bangs slanted across her forehead, held back by gold bobby pins in a little 'x' shape. She looked freaking awesome.

"You guys are great," Tenten said.

"Aw thanks. Now, let's relax on that massive couch of yours until Ino comes and we have to go," Sakura said.

So they sat. Tenten was too nervous to eat but did sip on some water through a straw. In came running into the house at exactly noon in the same black skirt with a purple sweater that clung to her frame. Her blond hair was set free today, her make-up matched the other three girls (gold shadow and pink lips) and she looked relieved to sit down.

"Okay, totally should have decorated last night," Ino said.

"Told you," Temari said.

Ino rolled her eyes then gushed over Tenten. They left five minutes later. Tenten said nothing as she locked her door behind her. Sakura and Hinata got in front of her while Ino and Temari took the rear. They held a white blanket made of silk over her so she couldn't be seen but high enough the blanket didn't ruin her hair.

Tenten hated walking blind through the streets but followed Sakura and Hinata's delicate steps towards the Hokage Tower. The walk took longer than she remembered mainly because people were stopping to cheer or throw flowers near her feet for good luck. Tenten refrained from biting her lip when the steps to the Hokage Tower came into view.

Her heart had begun to slam in her chest hard enough to probably break ribs. Her stomach had started flipping again and she wanted to throw up. Her hands were sweating, trembling, and she wanted a drink of water to get rid of the cotton balls in her throat.

They were in front of the room. Tenten gulped as the blanket was taken off and she stared at the closed doors of the briefing room. Guy-sensei sat in his wheel chair beside her with Lee behind him to push Guy-sensei around. Both looked exquisite in their dark pants and dark long sleeves shirts buttoned by gold horizontal buttons. Both had wide, wet eyes, trembling lower lips, and were on the verge of tears.

"Don't you two start or I'm going to start then I'll be forced to stick you with the senbon in my obi," Tenten said.

Temari laughed. Ino gaped at her while Sakura rubbed her forehead and Hinata giggled. Lee and Guy-sensei nodded at least.

"When in the _Hell_ did you stick senbon in your obi?" Ino asked.

"When I went to the bathroom," Tenten said. "I've also got some scrolls for my Bo, some kunai, and—"

"It's your _wedding_ , not a battle," Ino protested loudly.

"So? That doesn't mean I can't be armed," Tenten said.

"Guys, guys, come on, it's time to go," Naruto broke in.

Tenten hadn't noticed the doors opening to reveal Naruto, Kiba, Sai, and Shikamaru grinning at them. Tenten snorted but nodded. Naruto put an arm through Hinata's before leading her down the aisle. Kiba took Sakura while Sai took Ino and Shikamaru took Temari.

Tenten inhaled then exhaled when she got into position to Lee and Guy-sensei's left. She couldn't see the altar or the room because Ino had affixed a sheer fabric over the entrance way. The music changed and Tenten gulped.

"Ready?" Lee asked softly.

"Hell yes," Tenten said.

Nerves or not she was going to make Neji hers forever and ever. Someone pulled up the sheer gold colored fabric and Tenten stepped into the room. She burst into a smile and had to swallow down tears.

The chairs had been painted white then wrapped with burgundy and gold silk, held together by a huge white calla lily. Gold and burgundy swaths of silk hung in arches down the walls while the middle aisle was a gold carpet with burgundy lining. The altar itself was white with a huge white archway. Green ivy wrapped around the arch way while yellow and gold roses sprouted out.

The aisle curled up over the three stairs and Kakashi stood behind a white podium. Two massive spider plants in gold pots stood to either side of the arches. It was perfect.

Tenten caught sight of Neji who stood regally at the head of the altar with the smallest smile on his face. His eyes were damp; Tenten could tell when she stopped at the steps leading up to the platform where Neji and Kakashi stood.

Their bridesmaids and groomsmen had lined up on the stairs, Naruto and Hinata on the podium with Neji then Sai and Ino, Sakura and Kiba, and finally Temari and Shikamaru. Kakashi smiled, she could tell by the crinkling of his eyes.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" Kakashi said.

"She gives herself with the blessing of Might Guy and Rock Lee," Lee and Guy-sensei said together.

Kakashi nodded. Tenten took the three steps to stand beside Neji and they faced Kakashi. Guy-sensei and Lee settled somewhere behind but Tenten couldn't concentrate on that.

"Friends and family, we have come together to witness and bless the joining of this man and this woman in marriage. The bond of marriage is an old tradition to signify the union not only between man and wife but between friends, lovers, and family.

"This union is intended for their mutual joy, the help and comfort given to each other in prosperity and adversity and for the procreation of children."

A few chuckles came up through the crowd. Tenten pursed her lips to keep from laughing. Neji coughed softly. Kakashi chuckled.

"Which they've done all ready, anyway, marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly but reverently, deliberately, and in this case quickly but we are dealing with Team Guy."

More laughter but Tenten didn't mind one bit.

"Besides, we know these two have loved each for a long time and were probably dating on the side long before any of us thought. Frankly, it's about time."

Tenten giggled. Neji snorted but nodded as the people behind chuckled. Kakashi kept smiling under his mask.

"Into this union Tenten and Neji now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause of why they may not be wed speak now, or forever hold your peace. Also start running because I'm sure Tenten's hiding weapons under that kimono."

Tenten half turned and gave the audience a wink. People kept grinning as she turned back around and smiled to Neji. He winked at her and she giggled.

"I charge you both in the presences of me, the Hokage, and the rest of the company that if either of you know any reason why you shouldn't be married, do now confess it."

Tenten kept silent. Neji said nothing. Kakashi smiled.

"Good, now, turn to face each other."

Tenten happily turned to face Neji. He took her hands in his and she grinned.

"Tenten, will you have this man to be your husband; to live together with him in marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

"Hell yeah,"

More laugher. Neji snorted at her. Kakashi had to pause to stop laughing.

"Neji, will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together with him in marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

"Of course,"

Kakashi nodded.

"Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?"

Tenten watched out of the corner of her eye as everyone agreed. Lee jumped out of his seat with a fist pump with a proclamation of 'Yosh' and if Guy-sensei's leg had been healed he would have done the same. Both were crying.

"The rings," Kakashi said once everyone settled.

Naruto and Hinata came forward as Kakashi got out from behind his podium. He took both rings in his hand then blinked.

"Nice, okay, Neji: put this ring on Tenten's finger then repeat after me,"

Kakashi gave the smaller ring to Neji. Neji easily slipped it onto her finger and kept his eyes on hers. She smiled to see his eyes had misted over with happy tears. She wanted to kiss him now but she couldn't yet.

"This woman I marry," Kakashi said.

"This woman I marry, no matter what the health situation is. I will love this person, respect this person, console this person, help this person until death, and protecting fidelity. This I swear," Neji said.

Silence. A few people started laughing. Kakashi had deadpanned. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and sighed. Tenten couldn't help but laugh. Neji glanced to Kakashi with one eyebrow raised. Kakashi shook his head.

"Right, Tenten here," Kakashi said.

Tenten took the ring from Kakashi and put it over Neji's finger. His hands were trembling lightly and she wanted to hug him. It made her feel better that he was nervous about all this too. Good thing they hadn't had a big wedding.

"This man I marry, no matter what the health situation is. I will love this person, respect this person, console this person, help this person until death, and protecting fidelity. This I swear,"

More chuckles. Tenten beamed at Kakashi who stared at her wearily but amused. He shook his head.

"Kami bless these rings as a symbol of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other."

Tenten grinned as Kakashi took her right hand and put it into Neji's right hand. Neji let out a little breath, the barest hint of a smile on his face. They were so close!

"Now that Tenten and Neji have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings, I pronounce they are husband and wife. Those whom we have joined together, let no one put asunder. Tenten, Neji, having witnessed your vows and love to one another it's my absolute joy to present you to all gathered here as husband and wife,"

Tenten bit the inside of her lip as Kakashi tilted his head to face Neji. Neji wasn't looking at Kakashi though. Tenten smiled because Neji's white eyes hadn't left hers.

"Neji, you may kiss the bride,"

"Finally," Tenten muttered.

Some people had heard and started laughing but she didn't pay them any attention. Neji had bent slightly, easily taking her lips in his while bending her back lightly. His arms wrapped around her waist and she pushed her hands into the hair at the back of his neck, closing her eyes and ignoring the hoots and howls.

Neji's lips were soft and damp, his tongue rolling in her mouth wonderfully as his hands clutched her tightly against him. She felt the passion in him, the love, the caring, and had to swallow to keep her blissful tears back.

"Okay, either get a room or break it up,"

Tenten didn't know who said it but wanted to stick them with senbon. Neji pulled back and glared at Kakashi who coughed and took half a step back. Tenten giggled. She yelped then started laughing when Neji swept her up into his arms and began heading down the aisle. The photographer was in front of them, beside them, behind them, taking their picture from every angle and Tenten hadn't even noticed him. She didn't care.

She and Neji were _married._

* * *

Tenten had not expected so many people to crowd into the Amber Dragon but was happy to see them all. She and Neji had been placed against a wall alone while the rest of the attendees were spread out through the restaurant. The buffet tables were close to the kitchen, the bar was wide open and in full swing, as was the music provided by the Amber Dragon in house band.

Tenten spotted Genma, Raidou, Gaara, Kankuro, Sakura's parents, Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru's moms, the Raikage, Killer B, some of Karui's friends, Karin, Konohamaru and his teammates, a few scattered Hyuuga, Teuchi, Ayame, Hana, Tsume, and some sand shinobi among the original twenty-four people she and Neji had verbally invited.

Tenten couldn't keep the smile off her face as she sat with Neji at their private table. She had eaten probably way too much but then again, she hadn't eaten all day. The food was great though, perfect, and everyone was having an awesome time.

A place at the back of the restaurant had been cleared for a dance floor but no one was dancing yet. People ate still, switching tables every so often as there were no formal seating arrangements, and chatted. Some yelled across the room to friends but Tenten didn't mind the noise as she sipped her water.

Neji sat beside her, elegant as ever, but had a smile on his face. His left hand stayed on top of her right the entire time they had been sitting. He only moved his hand when she taken hers back to eat.

"Speech, speech, speech,"

The chant was started by Kiba, picked up by Naruto, and was coming off the lips of every person in attendance. Neji and Tenten had informed the guests in order to get them to kiss someone would have to give a speech. As such, there was a podium to Neji's right. Yuna had figured Neji would be the least lethal of them to put beside said podium.

Tenten watched as Lee got to his feet. Everyone he walked by clapped him on the back as he jogged up to the podium and gave the crowd a Nice Guy pose. Tenten giggled and saw Neji smiling a bit broader. Lee cleared his throat. Of course he would be the first to give a speech tonight.

"Thank you," Lee began. "As you all know I have known Neji and Tenten the longest. We all met in the Academy, as typical of any good shinobi friends anyone makes.

"Tenten was, and still is, this cheerful, happy girl who had a smile for everyone. But she could be fierce and sometimes scary and still sometimes scares me and Guy-sensei."

Laughter at this. Tenten groaned and rubbed her forehead while even Neji chuckled.

"She has always been naturally curious and hates being left out which has resulted in me being kicked in the face, like time she was the only one of the Konoha Eleven to be left out of a mission."

More laughter. Tenten huffed at Lee then glared at Neji who snickered.

"But, she takes care of us, not just Neji though I suppose she does naturally care about him more. She's comforting and motherly but can still make a pincushion out of anyone who crosses her."

A few people clapped and Lee beamed. Tenten no longer wanted to make Lee a human pincushion and she smiled when Neji took her hand.

"Then we have Neji,"

A few chuckles. Tenten saw Neji raise an eyebrow but kept her laughter back.

"The cold, arrogant, serious, logical, youth who was obsessed with fate up until Naruto beat him in the chunin exams."

Every started howling with laughter when Neji raised his glass to Lee. Lee gave Neji a thumb up, complete with pinging smile. Tenten was glad she hadn't been drinking like Anko or she would've spit water out her nose like the other kunoichi. Lee took a deep breath but kept a light smile on his face.

"He always made fun of me, said it was my fate to be nothing but a loser. But after the first chunin exams he started to open up. Neji may not look it but deep down, deep, deep, deep down,"

Laughter. Neji snorted as Tenten giggled. He had a smile on his face so Tenten knew he didn't mind being made fun of.

"Neji is a kind, sensitive person. He is attentive to everyone's moods or their needs and tries to help a person in any way he can. I know you may not believe it but sometimes after Tenten and Guy-sensei went home for the night Neji would stay to do extra training with me.

"He did this most often when I was disappointed because I could not mold chakra like a proper shinobi or when Sakura rejected me. No, he could never do three thousand one handed hand stand push ups but the fact he _stayed with me_ made me keep going. He usually fell down around two thousand, even now, but he would sit and watch me to make sure I knew that in this one thing: I could beat the Hyuuga Prodigy."

Tenten had to wipe a tear from her eye as did most of the crowd. Neji's cheeks had gone deep pink. Lee sniffled and wiped a tear from his eye.

"Unlike Tenten who speaks her mind and is open with everyone she meets, Neji comes across as quiet and somewhat intimidating. Being his teammate, his friend, and his family for the past eight years has made me realize that he may be quiet but he can say a lot with a single word. He speaks through his actions, not his words while Tenten speaks through her words even if they might mean the complete opposite of what she really means at the time."

A few people choked on drinks and Tenten groaned. Neji chuckled but kept his hand in hers. Lee raised his glass to both of them for a moment.

"I have learned much from both of them. From Tenten I have learned a person's gender does not matter because they can still kick your butt. I have also learned how to dodge sharp projectiles exceptionally well, especially when I might have annoyed a certain bun-haired kunoichi."

Tenten rubbed her forehead, hating that she was blushing. She caught Lee waiting for everyone to stop laughing. He grinned.

"From Neji I have learned to keep going, to preserver because a Genius of Hard Work can sometimes defeat a natural genius. I have also learned that "hn" can mean many different things, especially when issuing from the throat of a certain long-haired prodigy."

Tenten snickered when Neji gave his unimpressed 'hn'. He still had a smile on his face so Tenten knew Neji wouldn't hurt Lee after this. Lee again raised his glass towards them.

"My teammates, my friends, my family: I wish you all the best for many, many years to come. Also, please have more than two children so I can teach them the ways of Youth."

Tenten stared at Lee as Guy-sensei let out a 'Yosh' of excitement. Neji snorted as the crowd laughed. Lee cleared his throat.

"Now, I believe you owe us all a kiss,"

Hoot and hollers came from the crowd. Tenten gaped as Neji gently turned her head towards his and placed his lips over hers. Tenten melted into the kiss, raising one hand to curl into the hair at the back of his neck. They parted after a few moments to see Lee had been clapping the whole time. Now he went back to his table but started rolling Guy-sensei forward. Tenten smiled as Guy-sensei was placed in front of the podium.

Guy-sensei beamed as the crowd hushed. Tenten kept the smile on her face and saw Neji had a little grin on his lips as well. He really did love Lee and Guy-sensei. No one could tell but her and the two Green Beasts but that was fine.

"Thank you," Guy-sensei started. "Ah, Neji and Tenten: my Precious Genius and my Youthful Flower. My first students, second son and only daughter. I have watched them grow from their genin years.

"For Tenten she kept her sunny, youthful personality. She maintained the frightening ability to hit every target I challenged her to hit. But she still became stronger, able to seal an entire ocean into her scrolls, a blazing fire, a tornado, and even a snowstorm shortly after.

"She is unpredictable yet, ah, normally I would say convenient but I am certain she has at least a thousand weapons on her right now."

Tenten nodded while the audience laughed. Guy-sensei grinned.

"She is Konoha's Weapons Mistress: the nurturing peace keeper of Team Guy, the sensible one and the one who was able to break down the walls around the heart of Hyuuga Neji."

Tenten giggled at Neji who had gone scarlet. This made people chuckle and coo at him. Neji sipped his water then cleared his throat.

"Neji changed the most from when I first met him until today. Tenten had started the process perhaps by being the _only_ kunoichi or female in Neji's life who challenged him when Neji made fun of Lee. I think Neji was stunned this small, panda-like girl was yelling up in his face and smacking him around with her Bo when he called Lee an idiot,"

Guy-sensei had to wait for people to stop laughing. Tenten squeezed Neji's hand and giggled since he was still red. Guy-sensei grinned.

"She stubbornly chipped away at the walls around Neji's heart from day one. Yes, Neji still may be cool, serious, and logical but I would never call him unemotional. He does not wear his heart in the open like Lee and I but he still feels. He speaks the loudest through his actions but when he finally does relax he can have the most entertaining personality."

Guy-sensei blinked then sniffed. He let out a little breath and smiled at them. Tenten smiled back. Neji's cheeks were light pink instead of red now and his grin had become wider.

"Together they are the deadliest pair of shinobi Konoha has seen. At the same time they will be the kindest, sweetest pair you will ever meet. They will entertain you: Tenten with her simple cheer when telling stories and Neji with his quick wit and yes, sarcasm. They will make you feel welcome, they will comfort you, and they will help you achieve your dreams."

Tenten dabbed at her eyes with her napkin and saw Neji blinking back tears. A few people were crying openly: Sakura, Naruto, Ino, Kiba, Lee, Genma, Iruka-sensei, and Killer B. Others were smiling with the look of trying not to cry.

"It has been my honor to train them and it will be my great pleasure to watch them learn how to deal with raising their twins. They may fumble, they may be floored, and they may make mistakes but I know they will bind together and preserver over anything that gets in their way. It will not matter if it is a dirty diaper or an enemy shinobi. They will deal with it together."

People were stuck between laughing and crying, many doing both. Tenten had leaned against Neji to chuckle into his shoulder while tears streamed down her cheeks. Neji wiped a tear out of his eye but had a smile on his face.

"My son, my daughter: I wish you a long life together with few dull moments. And remember: you own me a few teams of children. Now kiss!"

Neji groaned but Tenten kissed him. He chuckled into her as the crowd cheered. Tenten pulled back from the kiss then got out of her chair, dragging Neji with her, so they could hug Lee and Guy-sensei. Claps filled Tenten's ears as did the sounds of Guy-sensei and Lee's happy sobs. Neji chuckled as Tenten hugged them all.

They parted with smiles. Tenten felt her cheeks heat as she and Neji settled back behind the table while Lee pushed Guy-sensei back to their table. Tenten gaped when Hiashi stood. The entire room went silent as Hiashi made his way to the podium. He got to it and faced the crowd elegantly. One eyebrow raised and a little smirk came across his face.

"Do not worry, I come here in peace," Hiashi said.

Tenten pursed her lips as a few people chuckled. Hiashi hummed and Tenten sat a little straighter in her chair when Hiashi looked at them.

"I am not as verbose as Lee or Guy but I am as happy for the two of you as anyone in this room. If anyone deserves to be happy it is you two. You were both made orphans at a tender age through circumstances outside of your control but pushed through every difficulty you faced to come together in a coherent unit.

"There is no doubt in my mind you will live happy, full lives and raise many, many children to be as powerful or stronger than the two of you. I look forward to watching you grow together, strengthening an unbreakable bond as you go forward in life."

Tenten wiped away more tears as Neji smiled at his uncle, eyes damp. Hiashi took a little breath and let it out softly. The entire room had been moved to more tears complete with happy smiles.

"Neji, my nephew and Tenten, my niece, I wish you all the good fortune in the world," Hiashi said.

He bowed to them, low, and people stood to clap. Tenten stood with Neji and they bowed. Tenten yelped when Neji grabbed her and kissed her. She couldn't help but giggle into his mouth as he held her arched back but close to his body.

More laughter and wolf-whistles. Tenten swatted Neji's shoulder which made people laugh harder. Neji released her from the kiss and they took their seats. Tenten rolled her eyes at his satisfied smile. She beamed when Naruto walked up to the podium with a smile on his face. People cheered and Naruto flushed.

"Thanks," Naruto said.

Tenten grinned when Naruto turned to her and Neji.

"I haven't known you guys as long or as personally as some of the others but I do know you two have always been meant for each other."

Tenten giggled at Neji who smirked. Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

"I mean, Tenten brings out the best in Neji, this warmth that wasn't there even when he started to try and make friends. And Neji compliments Tenten, not to say she's not great alone but Neji brings out her best more, you know? I'm glad you two are married and expecting twins. And I know our kids are going to have so many play dates we might as well move in together."

Tenten felt her cheeks go warm as everyone snickered. Neji snorted. Naruto grinned.

"I respect you guys, love you guys, and hey, welcome to the family." Naruto said.

Tenten laughed as Naruto came over and hugged them both. He was right though. Now they were family because Hinata was Neji's cousin. Naruto let them go but before Neji could go far, Tenten wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him.

More hoots and hollers. Tenten kept a hand on Neji's shoulder when she pulled back and he smiled at her. Tenten would be happy if no one else made a speech but Hinata came forward. Tenten retracted her statement as the audience cheered for Hinata who had gone light pink.

"Thank you," Hinata said with barely a stutter.

Hinata took a deep breath. Tenten returned Hinata's grin when she looked to her and Neji. Neji smiled as well which made Hinata's cheeks turn pinker.

"What everyone else has said about both Neji-niisan and Tenten-neechan is completely true. Tenten-neechan is the more approachable of them but niisan, well, he shows his emotions though different ways.

"A lot of people know I could not attend the festival to celebrate Tsunade-sama becoming Hokage. What they do not know is I had asked Neji-niisan to train me for a Hyuuga clan ritual and thus strained my eyes. I was blinded for a week and could not go with my friends, with Naruto, to see the fireworks. Niisan tried to find a special herbal remedy to aide me, almost getting himself killed along with Naruto and Sakura if not for Kakashi and Guy. He could not get to the remedy so I missed seeing the fireworks with Naruto.

"Neji-niisan blamed himself for this so he made it his responsibility to watch after me to make sure I did not hurt myself. He gave up his training time and his days to see to it I was fed, that I didn't trip over the cats in the compound, and that I had what I needed. He defended me to those who said I was weak, even taking on a Main House member or two in training to make sure they knew what he spoke was true.

"Niisan never spoke to me during this time though I know he was embarrassed by being my guardian angel of sorts. Embarrassed or not he would continue to watch over me until I was able to use my eyes again."

Tenten remembered the week well. She hadn't understood why Neji had gone missing but he had confided in her later about what had happened. She had hugged him to comfort him when he let out his upset "hn."

Tenten saw the crowd watching Hinata with little smiles and damp eyes. Hiashi looked stunned, as did Hanabi. Apparently Hinata and Neji hadn't told anyone this particular secret. Tenten watched as Hinata smiled.

"Neji-niisan has always been there to watch over me, to protect me, since that time and even now. Tenten-neechan, I know niisan's overprotective streak will get on your nerves at times but do bear with him as he means well. And niisan, I know you'll want to keep your wife and children within arms-reach so you can protect them but do remember they will be able to take care of themselves.

"I wish you two a happy, fruitful marriage full of love and joy."

Everyone clapped. Neji pulled Tenten into another kiss and now Tenten was happy. Hinata bowed to them, quickly, before walking back to her table where Naruto shouted the loudest. Tenten stared in awe along with Neji when Anko walked up to the podium, obviously a bit tipsy even though they had only been in the restaurant for a little over two hours.

"Thanks, and really, I just want you two to kiss again cuz you guys are adorable," Anko said.

Silence. Tenten slammed her hands on the table as she stood and pointed to Anko.

"That's not a speech!"

Tenten groaned when everyone laughed at her proclamation. She squeaked when Neji pulled her close then kissed her forehead. Tenten felt her entire face heat as everyone else cooed or laughed.

"Half speech, half kiss," Neji said with a shrug.

"Closet romantic," Tenten muttered.

"You enjoy it,"

"I do,"

"Hn, I thought it was "Hell yeah?"

"Shut up,"

Tenten swatted him as their audience watched, chuckling. No one else came up right away so Tenten enjoyed leaning against Neji as she sipped her water. She grinned when Neji wrapped an arm around her shoulders to keep her close. More minutes passed but Tenten enjoyed watching her friends and family celebrate.

Kiba walked up to the podium and everyone started cheering. Kiba had a grin on his face as he turned to face the crowd. He leaned against the podium, still smiling, and waited until people settled.

"Thanks," Kiba said. "I always thought Neji was a pompous jerk and I didn't really know Tenten because she never got to show how kick ass she is during the first chunin exams. It wasn't until Neji, Choji, Shikamaru, Naruto, and I went to go retrieve Sasuke that I figured out Neji wasn't as much of a jerk as I made him out to be.

"A couple of months later Naruto wanted to go see what Team Guy was up to so I went along with him. I watched Neji and Tenten train for the first time, ever, and man, if you haven't seen them train then you've got to watch it.

"It's like this complex almost dance, the way the move. Tenten keeps hurling weapons at him but he does that annoying _just_ shifting out of the way thing to avoid her. I know if I ever had to train with Tenten I'd be creamed. There's no avoiding her weapons unless you're as quick as Neji or Lee.

"And when she runs out of projectiles? Hell, she can keep up with him when she uses her Bo and she even gets a few hits in. Their single spar takes an entire afternoon, sometimes longer, but the entire time they're smiling at each other.

"They have this unity when they train, this kind of give and take which helps them improve in every way they can. It keeps them strong, it keeps them quick, and it makes them who they are. I'm not sure when that unity translated from a training thing into a relationship thing but I'm glad it did.

"You guys are going to make awesome parents and I wish you both the best," Kiba said.

He raised his glass to them as Tenten sat stunned. She had never thought Kiba would have said something so touching. Neji gave Kiba a nod and Kiba grinned. Tenten giggled when Neji pulled her closer then kissed her. People clapped and she smiled.

The night wore on but no one else came to the podium. At nine, Neji brought her to the dance floor to share their first dance. Tenten leaned against him, her head in his shoulder, and giggled. He smelled of forest, vanilla shampoo, and something uniquely him. The song finished before she was ready but Neji sensed it. They swayed to the music in their minds as the beat around them had gone quick.

Tenten watched the people around her as Neji hugged her close, his head resting against hers as they moved in the spot. She got tired before he did and they started doing a tour of the tables, talking and laughing with their friends and family.

A bell went off at eleven and Tenten grinned when the baker brought out the cake. People cheered as Tenten led Neji to their cake. It was perfect, better than the picture and Tenten giggled as she and Neji stood beside it.

"Before we have to cut up this pretty cake we want to say thanks," Tenten said.

"Yes, thank you all for coming today and for making this day possible," Neji said.

Tenten kissed his cheek. People wolf-whistled as Neji returned the kiss. Tenten beamed at her friends and family.

"I especially want to thank Ino and her helpers for decorating the briefing room, Hinata, Sakura, and Temari for helping me get ready today, and Guy-sensei and Lee for giving me away."

"Thank you Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama for fighting against the Elders for me and giving me your blessing to marry Tenten,"

Neji paused but Tenten knew he wanted to say more. Neji smirked as he met Naruto's eyes.

"And thank you Naruto for kicking my ass all those years ago. Without that I don't think we would be here today,"

Everyone laughed. Tenten rolled her eyes at Neji but kissed him again.

"If we kept going we'd be here all night so again: thank you. Now, who wants cake?"

Everyone cheered at her words. Tenten grinned then pulled a scroll out from under her obi, ignoring the baker who was trying to hand her a knife. Tenten summed forth her own blade much to everyone's amusement. She twirled it a bit then took the handle in one hand.

Neji gently placed his hand atop hers and they made a cut through the bottom tier followed by a second cut and a third to get a square of cake out. It took a minute to navigate it onto a plate. They put her knife down but held the plate in one hand, staring at each other to the hushed silence of the rest of the room.

Tenten knew about the tradition of smashing cake into your partner's face and Neji had been to enough weddings this year to see it. They moved at the same time. Tenten got a hunk of their square in one hand but saw Neji had done the same.

She burst into laughter when he smushed cake against her lips and nose while she got cake across his chin and mouth. Tenten let the paper plate drop, giggling when Neji did the same. She kissed him deeply when he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down.

Tenten didn't care people were laughing or Choji was yelling about how that had been a waste of good cake. Tenten tasted vanilla cake with strawberry icing on Neji's lips and it was perfect.

* * *

And it just feels right to end it right there. Okay, so, there is going to be some time-skipping going on as apparently I'm going to write about their kids. This means they'll be adjusting their kinky sex time around children. Ha. Reviews welcome.


	10. Babies

**Babies**

 **Author's notes:** TIME SKIPPING! So there. :P I'm _completely_ making up the date of births for everyone's kids because I can and we've established the canon is being ignored at this point since Neji is you know, _alive_.

 **WARNING:** Exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji _lives_. They're in their 20s in this plot-filled "just bondage sex" story.

Side-note: I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) as usual this year BUT I am planning to go back to my original fiction no matter where I am in this story. As I'm way ahead of what's posted on here, I'm going to be nice and post a chapter a day until October 31st. This way there's a lot of reading material for you all to read and a big chunk of story to re-read until I get back to this in December. You're welcome. ;)

* * *

Tenten grunted as she got to her swollen feet and waddled to her kitchen. She couldn't actually _walk_ anymore because her twins had made her belly swell to epic proportions. At least all the weight had gone to her belly and boobs. Plus she'd bounce back to her old weight in like a week.

She made it to the fridge and let out a breath as she tugged open the right side door to grab the milk. One of her babies kicked and Tenten winced before putting her hand on her bare swollen belly.

She wore a bra and a pair of Neji's shorts. Despite it being April, she was _dying_ of heat. Hinata had been lucky having Boruto during the winter, January 15th to be exact. Temari had followed up with the birth of Shikadai on February 10th. A month later Karui popped Chocho on March 20th. Tenten had been glad it wasn't her 21st birthday when Chocho came into the world. Regardless, people were taking bets as to whether Yusa or Tenten would pop next.

Tenten poured her milk into a glass then put the container back. She leaned her aching lower back against the counter to drink her milk. Tenten gulped it all down, unintentionally then pouted at her empty glass before licking the milk off her lips. She drank a carton of milk a day which was why Neji had gone out to get more.

She didn't mind the fact he had been gone an awfully long time for milk. Hell, at least he was _in_ Konoha. Sasuke hadn't returned and Sakura would be having their first kid in about a month. Tenten put her glass in the sink a bit harder than needed and sighed. Stupid Sasuke. She should've filled him with senbon.

Tenten had a kunai in her hand when the door opened. She put it away when Neji stepped through the door carrying a paper bag in one arm. He raised an eyebrow at her and she flushed. Okay, so _maybe_ she had yelled at him this morning about him forgetting to put the clean dish towels away.

"I'm sorry," Tenten said.

"About what?" Neji questioned.

His head tilted to one side in curiosity. Tenten sniffled. She had hit him too and called him an idiot over those stupid dish towels. Tenten hated when tears started running down her face. She almost started laughing because Neji's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. He let the door thunk closed behind him, put the milk on the counter then hugged her.

"Tenten, what?" Neji asked.

She fell into his chest and he kept rubbing her back. Kami damn her hormones! He had obviously not cared about the dish towels this morning. Why was she being so weepy about it?

"Dish towels," Tenten got out.

"Hn?"

"I yelled at you about not putting the dish towels away,"

"Hn?"

Tenten huffed, pulled out of his grip then swatted his shoulder. Neji blinked. His eyebrows were furrowed and he looked painfully confused. Tenten let out a breath then shook her head.

"The stupid dish towels," Tenten said.

"I remember the dish towels but there is no need to apologize," Neji said carefully.

"Then why did you take almost an hour to get milk?"

Tenten glared at him. Neji gaped, eyes wide, face perplexed.

"I ran into Hinata-sama and Naruto. I may have gotten distracted by Boruto," Neji said, still confused.

Tenten deflated. Oh. It made complete sense. Tenten groaned and leaned against him. Neji patted her back cautiously and she wanted to laugh.

"I can't wait till these two are out of me so all these messed up hormones will stop," Tenten said.

"If I say the same will you stick me with senbon again?"

Tenten winced at his words. Right, she had stuck him with two dozen senbon when he had agreed with her on the same topic the other day. Jeez she was a pain to live with when pregnant.

"No," Tenten assured him.

Neji let out a breath of relief then held her closer.

"Good, then me too,"

He kissed the top of her head. Tenten grinned and inhaled. He smelled clean, of forest, vanilla shampoo, and oddly, milk. Tenten decided not to ask but closed her eyes as she leaned against his powerful chest. She couldn't lean as tightly because of her peanuts but she didn't mind. She cringed when pain shot across her abdomen and lower back.

The stupid pain had been coming since yesterday afternoon.

"How is Boruto anyway?" Tenten asked.

"He's fine, so are Naruto and Hinata though they both look exhausted. Apparently Boruto's nocturnal so he will sleep all day then be awake most of the night,"

"Ouch,"

"Hn,"

Tenten scowled when she felt sweat rolling down her stomach. She pulled out of Neji's arms and he let her go. Neji smiled and she kissed his cheek before wobbling back over to the couch. She flopped into the middle section where Neji had set both fans to blow on her and sighed happily.

Tenten leaned back with her eyes closed but listened as Neji put the milk away. It sounded like he was pouring her another glass. She opened her eyes a crack when she felt Neji come closer. He offered her the milk and she took it with a smile.

Neji sat on the floor in front of her feet, gently taking one foot into his hands then started massaging. Tenten sighed at the foot rub, happy Neji liked to pamper her. She finished her milk again and he took the glass from her, placing it behind him on their living room table before going back to rubbing her foot.

Tenten said nothing as more pain shot across her stomach and lower back. She touched her stomach and felt it was rock hard. Weird. Tenten let out a breath as the pain went away. Neji moved onto her other foot quietly.

Five minutes later, the pain was back, shooting across her lower back and her entire stomach. Tenten huffed but didn't touch her belly. Neji looked up at her and blinked. She raised an eyebrow at him as the pain went away.

"What?"

"Your stomach compressed down," Neji said.

Tenten looked to her stomach with a frown. She rubbed her belly and again, felt it was hard as the ground under her feet. Tenten tried to remember what Hinata, Temari, and Karui said their contractions felt like but it wasn't coming to her.

Neji kept rubbing her foot but kept his eyes on her stomach, almost hawk like. Tenten said nothing but did watch her stomach as well. About five minutes later, the pain was back. Tenten watched as her stomach compressed downwards. That was really weird.

"Are you in pain when that happens?" Neji questioned.

"A little," Tenten replied.

Neji's shoulders sagged and one eyebrow lifted as he frowned. He snorted then got to his feet and started walking away. Tenten moved her head so she could watch him but she couldn't flex as well so she lost sight of him as he hit the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Tenten called out.

"Bedroom," Neji shouted back.

Why in the Hell was he going to the bedroom? He had been in the middle of giving her an awesome foot massage. He came back within two minutes and Tenten blinked at him. He held one of her maternity dresses in one hand and wore the bag they had packed for her hospital stay on his shoulder.

"Um?" Tenten questioned.

"You are having contractions," Neji answered.

Tenten blinked.

"Am not,"

He raised his eyebrow at her. She wasn't due until April 23rd. It was only the ninth. There was no way she was having contractions. Tenten gaped when something _popped_ and suddenly it felt like someone tossed a bucket of water over her groin.

Tenten looked down at her legs to see thick fluid leaking from out of her panties, down her thighs, and onto the floor with a similar sound to a faucet running. The stuff was warm, clear, and made her feel _really_ gross. At least she had been leaning back on the couch so only the front of the cushion she was on got wet.

"And that would be your water breaking," Neji said.

Tenten stared at him then the mess she had unintentionally made on the floor. Neji let out a little breath. She kept gaping at him when he got in front of her, feet spread to either side of the pool of gooey liquid on the floor, pushing her feet outside of his then grabbed her forearms in his hands and hoisted her up.

She grabbed onto his shirt when she was up and they did a sort of backwards shuffle so they could stand properly. Even so, she was leaking all over the place. Neji hummed, tugged her panties off then stuck a towel between her legs.

Tenten groaned in embarrassment when he pulled her dress over her head. She pushed her arms through the proper holes as he went to the front door to grab her shoes. Neji helped her put her shoes on since she couldn't bend and she had to lean against him for a moment when more pain raced through her belly.

"Four and a half minutes," Neji said.

"Huh?"

"Your contractions are about four and a half minutes apart,"

"Oh,"

Neji snorted at her in amusement. He put on his shoes then swept her bridal carry into his arms. Tenten adjusted the towel between her legs as he strode to the front door. She locked it behind them and Neji took off towards the hospital.

Normally it would take him ten minutes to reach the hospital from their home but now he was carrying a pregnant her so wasn't going at any kind of speed. Tenten winced when another contraction ripped through her.

"Hn, four minutes,"

"What? Well crap,"

"Hn,"

Tenten let out a breath but continued to hang onto Neji as he leaped from roof top to roof top on his way to the hospital. She felt another contraction a mere three and a half minutes after the last one and it lasted over a minute. This one caused her to gasp in agony. Oh they were coming _quick_.

They weren't far from the hospital at least. Neji did speed up and his Byakugan activated. Tenten wished she could laugh when he stumbled at the sudden sight of their babies being born but she was too busy thinking about what would happen if he fell. He caught his footing and she huffed at him.

"Sorry, they're tilting down and well, yes," Neji muttered.

Tenten said nothing but did let out a grunt of pain when he landed in front of the hospital, not because of his land, oh no, another contraction had hit her. Neji didn't pause to look down at her, seeing the contraction for what it was, and ran into the hospital.

"My wife is in labour," Neji said.

Tenten wanted to marvel at how calm he sounded but the contraction hadn't finished yet. Besides, she could feel his body trembling and how quick his breath had started coming out. His heart was beating rapidly too and none of it had anything to do with the short run.

Tenten managed to get her eyes open though she didn't remember closing them. Neji carried her down a hallway as nurses followed him. He laid her on a bed while people began moving around the room getting everything in order. Tenten grunted when another contraction pulsed through her.

"About two and a half minutes apart," a nurse said.

Tenten let out a breath when it was over.

"A minute and a half long," the same nurse said.

Tenten huffed but let Neji pulled her out of her dress and bra. He tugged the hospital gown on her then put her bag on the night stand beside the bed. One of the nurses brought him a chair and he thanked her before sitting right beside her bed, on her right, and taking her right hand in both of his.

Tenten opened her mouth to speak but another contraction hit her. All she could do was growl in pain, close her eyes, and squeeze Neji's hand. When it was over she let out a puff of air and looked at him. Neji gave her a little smile, Byakugan eyes wide, and his hands shivering slightly over hers.

"Go call Lee or he'll _never_ forgive you," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

She almost laughed when she spotted a phone hanging off the wall. The nurses were getting her legs into the metal strappy things, putting a sheet over her now upraised legs then looking under the sheet. As if Neji hadn't seen her naked before.

"Yes, Lee, Tenten's in labor. No, this is not some elaborate joke. Yes, I am aware it is six at night. Lee, shut up, get Guy-sensei and Yusa and come down here,"

Tenten did giggle when he slammed the phone back into its cradle before joining her again. He settled in his chair, took up her hands again, and leaned on the bed to be close. Tenten smiled at him until another contraction hit.

Once it was over the nurses smiled at her. There was a basin of water by the bed with a cloth, a tray with some tools near her legs, and another basin off to one side which would likely be used to wash her babies. Cloths and blankets in blue and pink were on a rack near the bigger basin and Tenten stared.

"You're four centimeters dilated. Anda will stay with you then call in the midwife on duty once you're fully dilated," the nurse said.

Anda, blue eyed, brown haired, petite, with a nice smile, nodded. Tenten returned the gesture and everyone in the room left besides Anda and Neji. Tenten gritted her teeth when another contraction hit her. She let out a breath when it was over then leaned back as far as the upraised bed would let her.

"How long does this take?" Tenten questioned.

"Anywhere from an hour up to eight or nine hours," Anda said. "It depends on your children."

Tenten remembered reading it in one of the pregnancy books now that Anda had reminded her. Tenten groaned. She hoped this was quick.

* * *

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

Neji winced at her curse but she didn't give a crap. She had been going through these stupid contractions for _seven fucking hours_ and she was still seven centimeters dilated. She had hit the seven centimeter mark five hours ago, after two painful hours, but now her twins had said fuck it and were resting in her pelvis.

"This is your fault," Tenten told Neji.

"Hn,"

His agreement sound. She squeezed his hand and he winced. She got a bit of satisfaction out of that until another contraction hit her. Tenten snarled out her pain, squishing Neji's hand in hers and shifting forward. The contraction stopped a minute later and a half and she let out a breath.

It was one in the morning on April 10th, she felt like a pig from all the sweat running down her body, she was aching all over, and it felt like she had to take a massive shit but she couldn't relieve the pain of it.

All she wanted to do was push her twins out then take a nap. They apparently had decided to take a nap in her. She would always remind them of this day the little buggers.

Another contraction hit and she growled. She spotted Neji cringing as she squeezed his hand but didn't care. He was a shinobi for crying out loud. He could take it. Besides, he wasn't in the middle of labor or about to push a watermelon out of a small hole.

The contraction finished and she let out a breath. She could hear voices beyond the door of her room, Lee and Guy-sensei, as they chattered about youth or whatever bullcrap they talked about at one in the morning while she was in pain.

Another contraction.

"FUCK,"

Neji whimpered. She let out a breath when it was over. Anda checked on her with a little smile and Tenten had the urge to kick the woman in the face.

"Oh, eight centimeters," Anda said.

"Fucking finally," Tenten got out.

Anda chuckled but picked up the phone in the room. Tenten growled as another contraction hit. She _felt_ one of her babies sitting low in her pelvis and pushed. She probably shouldn't be pushing but she didn't give a shit.

Two minutes later her door opened to reveal Tsunade-sama in a white gown with white gloves on her hands. Tenten gaped in the middle of a contraction as Shizune followed Tsunade in. Anda left.

"You're the midwife?" Tenten asked.

"Yep, have been for everyone else so why not?" Tsunade returned.

Tenten opened her mouth to ask, well, something but a contraction hit and she groaned instead. Tsunade sat on a small rolling chair before flipping up Tenten's sheet. Tenten said nothing when she felt gloves against her body.

"Woah, you're all ready ten centimeters, feel free to push with your contractions," Tsunade said.

"Fuck yes," Tenten snarled.

She pushed. She heard Neji grunt but didn't give a crap about what kind of pain he was going through. He could get his hand healed later. Right now she had their twins to deliver. The contraction ended and Tenten let out a puff of air.

"Good, good, push again when another hits," Tsunade said.

Tenten snarled as her next contraction hit, pushing down as hard as she could. The process was repeated five or six more times, she honestly lost count, until she spotted Shizune grinning.

"You're crowning," Shizune said.

Tenten licked the sweat off her lips and looked to Neji. He had perked up in his chair, white eyes wide, and lips parted slightly. His head had turned towards Tsunade and Shizune but he didn't activate his Byakugan. Tenten hissed as another contraction hit and she pushed.

"And we've got a forehead, eyes, nose, lips, chin, stop," Tsunade said.

Tenten gasped as she stopped. She felt movement around her lower lips which felt stupidly weird. Another contraction hit but Tenten didn't push with it.

"Okay, go," Tsunade said.

Tenten huffed but pushed. Oh fuck it hurt! Her lower body felt like it was on fire as she shoved to get her first child out. She had been so concentration on the pains of her contractions she hadn't noticed the pain of actually _pushing_ her kid out.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow," Tenten wheezed.

"Hn,"

"Shut up you,"

"Hn,"

"Don't you fucking glare at me! I'm giving you maybe fucking half of the pain I'm feeling you—"

Tenten stopped her rant because a little cry broke in. She gasped and turned as the snivel became a loud wail. Tsunade had a grin on her face as she lifted baby one into the air.

"It's a boy," Tsunade said.

Tenten felt tears rolling down her cheeks as their baby boy was wrapped in a towel and his umbilical was clamped. Tsunade offered the cutters to Neji who took them with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. He cut the cord and Shizune went to the basin to clean up their little boy, Hizashi.

"April tenth, one thirty-one AM," Tsunade said.

Tenten gasped as another contraction hit her. Oh yeah. She had another baby in there. Tenten pushed but Tsunade told her to stop almost instantly.

"Okay, go,"

Tenten kept pushing. She _felt_ baby two slip out of her then gaped when the sobbing started almost immediately. Tenten sat up to watch in awe as baby two was wrapped, clamped, and this time she was offered the cutters.

"It's a girl by the way," Tsunade said.

Tenten grinned as she cut the cord then fell back into her bed. She watched as Tsunade went over to the basin to clean off their still crying Hatomi as Shizune hurriedly wrapped up Hizashi.

"April tenth, one thirty-three AM," Tsunade said.

Two minutes apart. Tenten started laughing but stopped when Shizune walked up to them with a blue bundle in her arms. Tenten stared at Neji who had gone completely stiff in his chair, mouth wide, eyes almost popping out of his head, and his hand loose in hers.

"Give him to Neji," Tenten said.

Shizune grinned but nodded. Neji blinked but kept gaping as Hizashi was put into his waiting arms. Tenten pursed her lips to keep from laughing as Neji stared down at the bundle in his arms with a stunned face.

"You okay there, tiger?" Tenten asked.

Neji looked up at her so quickly his neck cracked. He nodded then went back to staring at Hizashi. At least Neji had closed his mouth. Tenten beamed when Tsunade came over with Hatomi wrapped in pink. Tenten held the pink bundle close and got her first look at her daughter. She frowned.

"She looks like a prune," Tenten said.

"They were in water for nine months," Neji remarked.

Tenten huffed.

"Does he look like a prune?"

"A cute prune,"

"Lemme see,"

Neji got up slowly then sat beside her on the bed. Tenten looked down at Hizashi and blinked.

"He looks like a prune too," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

Neji's amused sound. She snickered at him then kept looking at her pink prunes. Both breathed normally and she could feel Hatomi's heart beat through the blanket.

"Your boy weighs five pounds, six ounces and your girl weighs four pounds, eight ounces. What are their names?" Tsunade asked.

"Hizashi and Hatomi," Tenten said.

Tsunade grinned. Shizune was cleaning up the room while Tenten watched. She grunted when something slipped out between her legs and Tsunade chuckled at her. Tenten said nothing as another something slithered out then remembered these were the placenta. Tenten decided looking at Hatomi was better than thinking about afterbirth.

"I'll start filling out forms for birth certificates. Do you guys want a few minutes before people start coming in?" Tsunade questioned.

"People?" Tenten returned.

Tsunade helped her lower her legs. Huh, she hadn't even remembered she was still spread out. She hadn't even felt Shizune healing her so focused she had been on Hatomi.

"Lee, Guy, Yusa, Sakura, Ino, Sai, Hiashi, Hanabi, Kiba, Shino, and Naruto are out there," Shizune said.

"Really?" Tenten asked.

Tsunade nodded with a grin.

"Huh, we'll take like twenty minutes," Tenten said.

Tsunade nodded. Tenten didn't notice when the two women left, so intent she was on Hatomi. Hatomi gave a little yawn and Tenten grinned. Tenten looked to Neji who had lied down next to her, holding Hizashi in his arms and staring at their son with a little smile.

"How're you doing?" Tenten questioned.

"Amazing," Neji replied.

He had tear streaks down his face but wasn't crying anymore. He did hold Hizashi one handed while he ran a finger over their son's cheek. Tenten grinned at him before snuggling against him carefully. Neji hummed but leaned towards her, his cheek coming to rest on the top of her head. Tenten giggled as they watched their babies.

Hizashi sneezed and Hatomi yawned again. Tenten gushed but noticed neither opened their eyes despite the fact their eyelids weren't all that swollen.

"Why aren't they opening their eyes?" Tenten asked.

"Because they were _just_ born less than half an hour ago," Neji told her.

He sounded amused.

"Yeah but normally it's like a few minutes after birth when they open. Hm," Tenten muttered.

She tilted Hatomi upward, trying to take advantage of the doll's eye effect but nothing happened. Tenten frowned. Neji snorted which made her hair ruffle.

"You know, Hyuuga newborns tend not to open their eyes right away. I did not open my eyes once for nine days," Neji said.

Tenten blinked. She grinned.

"Really?"

"Really. It took Hinata-sama four days before she opened her eyes for the first time and Hanabi-sama a week,"

"So the longer they keep their eyes closed, the stronger their Byakugan would be?"

"Hn,"

Tenten hoped they didn't open their eyes for a while. She jumped when the door burst open to reveal Lee pushing Guy-sensei towards the bed. Apparently it had been twenty minutes.

"Babies," Guy-sensei said, oddly softly.

"Yes, two," Neji muttered.

"There's the sarcasm," Kiba said.

Tenten giggled as everyone crowded around the bed to stare at the twins. Kiba was the first to react and he smirked.

"Yep, you've seen one newborn then you've seen 'em all. Wrinkly pink prunes," Kiba said.

Sai had a frown on his face.

"They're so ugly looking," Sai said.

He gulped when Neji glared at him. Sai yelped when Hiashi and Hanabi swatted him.

"They're so much smaller than Boruto was," Naruto said in awe.

"Again, twins," Neji said.

"Look at the wittle ones, aw," Ino gushed.

Sakura had a smile on her face but Tenten could tell she was thinking of where Sasuke was. The way she concentrated on how _Neji_ held Hizashi was a dead give-away.

"So what are their names?" Yusa asked softly.

"Hizashi and Hatomi," Tenten said.

She saw Hiashi's eyes go wide then they went wet. She gasped when Hiashi pushed Lee out of the way then pulled Neji and Hizashi in a hug. Neji grunted in surprise as he was shifted. Hizashi made a little whining sound but settled. Tenten stared to her right as Hiashi kept hugging Neji. She was sure the Hyuuga Clan Head was _crying_ into Neji's shoulder but Hiashi's face was buried in Neji's shoulder, obscured by their hair.

Hanabi grinned at her dad while everyone else smirked. Finally, Hiashi pulled back and hurriedly wiped his cheeks so no one could see the tear streaks there. Neji stared up at him, lips parted, eyes wide, and totally flabbergasted.

"You okay, dad?" Hanabi asked.

"Fine," Hiashi got out.

Hanabi snorted. Hiashi apologized to Lee but stayed near Neji who kept staring at him. Neji jumped when Guy-sensei grabbed onto the edge of the bed near Neji's side.

"May I, please?" Guy-sensei questioned with tears in his eyes.

Neji hummed but nodded. Tenten watched as Neji carefully transferred Hizashi to Guy-sensei who cuddled the little boy close. Guy-sensei beamed and tears streamed down his face.

"Oh little Hizashi I will teach you the ways of Youth and cool suits," Guy-sensei said.

"Hell no," Tenten said along with Neji _and_ Hiashi.

This made everyone laugh as Guy-sensei gaped. Neji huffed before taking back Hizashi and glaring at Guy-sensei. Hiashi snorted at Guy-sensei who was grasping at thin air with a wide open jaw.

"Neji, may I?" Hiashi enquired.

Tenten smiled when Neji handed over Hizashi again. Hiashi looked down at the little bundle in his arms with a smile. Hiashi didn't hold him long and soon Neji was snuggling with their boy again.

"Okay, one of you two gimme a baby to hold before I pop mine out prematurely," Ino said.

Tenten snorted but handed of Hatomi. Ino squealed in delight upon pulling the little girl close. Sai looked at Hatomi over his wife's shoulder and blinked.

"Prune," Sai said.

"Yeah, yeah," Tenten muttered.

She yawned which cleared out the room faster than she thought. One moment she didn't have Hatomi and the next she did. Two seconds after that everyone was saying good night and a half second later it was just her, Neji, and their twins.

"Huh," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

She snorted at his confused sound. The both jumped when Hizashi made a whining sound as he yawned. This was going to take some getting used to.

* * *

"Neji, where's the extra spit up cloths?"

Tenten tilted her head to side to listen to his returning shout. She was in the kitchen with Hizashi, breast feeding him, but she didn't have a cloth to put over her shoulder to burp him. Neji had taken Hatomi into the nursery to change her.

"In here, I will bring one," Neji called back.

"Kay,"

Six months had passed since she gave birth to their twins. As expected, she had gained her figure back in a week though she had kept the bigger boobs, so far anyway. Her butt had decided to stay a bit bigger too as did her hips. She didn't mind. She had no idea if Neji minded because they hadn't been able to have any kind of sex since before the twins were born.

"Here," Neji said.

Tenten beamed at him when he placed a cloth over her right shoulder. He held Hatomi in one arm and she snuggled against him happily, eyes wide open to watch everything around her. Tenten smiled at her daughter's eyes.

Hatomi's eyes were pale gold with no pupil. Apparently the Byakugan white had taken some coloring hints from her hazel eyes to make the palest gold. Hizashi's eyes were the same hue but a bit lighter. They had opened their eyes within minutes of each other, Hatomi first, nine days after they had been born.

Tenten felt Hizashi stop sucking and pulled him back. He opened and closed his mouth but didn't complain. Tenten shifted him up she could burp him. She smiled when Neji stared at her exposed breast.

"See something you like?" Tenten asked.

"Hn,"

Agreement sound. Tenten chuckled.

"Hn," Hatomi repeated.

Neji and Hatomi's eyes met and Tenten tried not to laugh.

"Hm," Neji hummed at her with a little smile.

"Hnnnn," Hatomi said then giggled.

Tenten rolled her eyes. Hizashi burped. Tenten didn't feel anything on the spit up cloth so brought him down to nuzzle against his nose. He giggled at her and she tucked back his thick, dark hair.

The twins had Neji's thick, dark brown hair, she could all ready tell. With a few simple pets their hair would fall perfectly into place around their faces as if she had spent twenty minutes actually styling it. They had his eyes too: big, wide, and pale.

Hatomi had her father's long elegant nose with his high cheek bones but Tenten's petite chin and ears. Hizashi had her button nose and lower cheek bones but his father's strong jaw and slightly bigger ears.

"Bababababa," Hizashi said.

"Well a bababababa to you too," Tenten told him.

He giggled. Tenten pulled her shirt back into place while Neji "hn" and hummed at Hatomi who made the same sounds back. She was even mimicking his tone which made him grin. Tenten noticed Hatomi had grabbed a hunk of Neji's long hair in one hand but she wasn't pulling. She did like hanging onto her father by either his hair, his shirt, or some other part of him.

Hatomi never pulled hard but did wrap her tiny little fingers around whatever she could grab and held. Neji didn't mind in the slightest. Hizashi liked to pull though. He also liked to pick something up, hold it above his head, and let it drop.

Tenten stood up and brought Hizashi to the floor of the sitting room. He happily settled on his butt in the mess of toys and picked up a big block. Hizashi lifted the block above his head in one hand then let it go. The block fell to the floor and rolled away which made Hizashi giggle. Tenten snorted at her son but walked back to the kitchen to clean up a bit.

Neji stayed in his chair with Hatomi but his eyes flicked to Hizashi every few moments even though Hatomi babbled in his face or played with his hair. Tenten turned her back on the happy scene as she started on the breakfast dishes. They had been sitting for half an hour but really, that wasn't too bad considering they had the twins to take care of.

"Sakura's coming over with Sarada for lunch today," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

Neji's "thanks for reminding me" happy sound.

"Hn," Hatomi mimicked.

Tenten smiled. Hizashi made another block drop then laughed.

"I can't believe Sarada's what, five months?"

"Hn, born May 5th, five months tomorrow," Neji said.

"Hn, hm, hn," Hatomi added.

Another block dropped and Hizashi chuckled at it.

"And Inojin is the youngest," Tenten said.

"June, ah, 26th, correct?"

Tenten laughed at him. Neji had made it a sort of goal to try and remember all the birthdays of their friends' kids.

"Right on,"

"Hn," Neji said happily.

"Hn," Hatomi repeated.

"Bah!" Hizashi added.

"Boo," Tenten said.

She and Neji waited.

"Boo," Hizashi returned.

"Boo," Hatomi repeated after a beat.

Tenten snickered. Neji hummed which made Hatomi hum. Tenten shook her head. Hatomi was such a daddy's girl. She always wanted to be close to Neji, snuggled in his arms even though Neji had held Hizashi first. The moment he picked up Hatomi though, she had clung and hadn't let go.

"Lee is not back from his mission yet, is he?" Tenten questioned.

"No which leaves Yusa alone with Metal," Neji returned.

"Mmm," Hatomi said.

Something squeaked and Tenten looked over her shoulder to see Hizashi had grabbed squeaky toy in both hands. He held it in front of his face and squeezed again. His eyes widened, his lips went into a 'o' shape then he giggled. Sure he was having fun with it but...

"Why does our son have a squeaky dog bone?" Tenten asked wearily.

"Blame Kiba," Neji said.

"Ki," Hatomi said.

Tenten shook her head but went back to the dishes. It figured Kiba would buy their kids a dog toy. He had done the same with everyone else's kids. It was his running joke that kids were kind of like dogs.

"Lee is still upset Metal was born a mere three days after these two," Neji said.

Tenten snorted. She washed out a bowl.

"Not my fault they wanted to come early, jeez," Tenten said.

"Eez," Hatomi said.

Tenten grinned. Hizashi was still squeezing the dog toy. It would give her a headache if he kept going but she didn't mind, not really. At least he was having fun.

"Eez," Hatomi repeated.

"Eez?" Neji asked her.

Tenten turned to see Hatomi giggle at her father then put a hand on Neji's lips. Neji smiled under Hatomi's little hand as she pushed against his lips, pursing them then moving them about.

"Eez," Hatomi said.

"Hmph," Neji returned.

Tenten chuckled and finished the last bit of dishes. Hatomi giggled at her father and he hummed at her. Hizashi kept making the dog bone squeak. Tenten put the last dish in the rack before turning off the taps to face her husband and children.

Hatomi had one small hand on Neji's cheek while the other had tangled into his hair. She stood on his upper thigh, mostly supported by his arm around her waist and kept rubbing his cheek as he made sounds at her and she repeated them back.

Hizashi had the dog bone aloft in his hands, above his face, pushing against it to make it squeak and laughing after every sound. Tenten shook her head but walked over to the living room to sit with Hizashi. He turned his head and looked up at her, the biggest smile on his face, and his golden eyes wide. Tenten sat down next to him then gaped when he smacked her in the leg with the dog bone.

"Hey, no," Tenten said in her firm voice.

Hizashi blinked then lifted the toy. Tenten gave her son a look. He pouted then went back to squeezing the toy to hear it make noise. Tenten smiled then began stacking his blocks.

After she put two down beside each other, she had his attention. Hizashi dropped the dog bone and grabbed a block, pushing it in place until it was against her two in a straight line. She added a fourth, he added a fifth. Tenten put the sixth on the crease between two blocks.

Hizashi smiled before putting his block beside hers. Tenten watched as he put another block then another until four sat across the bottom five. Unlike Metal or Chocho, Hizashi put the next block atop the row, in the crease between the four blocks in a row to continue the pyramid. Tenten grinned as Hizashi finished row three, then row two, and finished by putting a single block atop the pyramid. Hizashi hummed before grabbing a pyramid shaped block then stuck the flat end atop the last square block.

"Good job," Tenten told him.

"Goo joo," Hizashi said.

Tenten kissed his forehead and he giggled. She laughed when he picked up the squeaky dog bone then knocked over the pyramid. Not all the blocks fell to the ground and Hizashi pouted at this. Tenten watched as he re-stacked the blocks carefully before smacking them again, this time in a different spot.

Tenten raised her eyebrows when she watched Hizashi carefully study how the blocks fell. He made a humming sound before re-stacking them then knocking them down again, this time scattering them all. Hizashi giggled. Tenten smiled then kissed her son's forehead.

She didn't know how to feel about this. Sure, Boruto did the same sort of thing but Boruto was five days short of being three months older than Hizashi and Hatomi. Tenten supposed she should be proud and happy but seeing her six month old son _consciously_ figure out where to hit a block tower to knock it down was fairly frightening.

Tenten looked to Neji who was still making sounds with Hatomi at the table. She grinned. Neji _had_ learned the Hyuuga clan secrets by watching. He _could_ learn basically anything by watching someone else do it a few times. Go figure Hizashi took after his father in that respect.

"You can watch both of them while I put a load of laundry in, right?" Tenten asked.

"Of course. I am also fine with doing the laundry while you watch them if you wish," Neji said.

"Ish," Hatomi said.

Tenten loved the fact Neji had no problem sharing the chores. If he cooked for a meal then she washed the dishes. He would happily offer to do the laundry or clean the house and did help her to do both. He was constantly picking up after her as she had a bad habit of tossing towels or clothes nowhere near the hamper. He picked up after the kids too, putting toys in place or books back on shelves.

"I'll do the laundry today since you did a load yesterday," Tenten said.

"Hn," Neji said.

"Hn," Hatomi repeated.

Tenten snorted but got to her feet. Neji did as well and she watched as he settled beside their son. Hizashi had turned to look up at his father then excitedly began stacking the blocks as if to show Neji what he could do. Tenten shook her head but strode into their laundry room.

She kept the door open so she could hear Hizashi making noises as he stacked his blocks, Hatomi mimicking Neji as Neji made sounds at her and finally Hizashi knocking over his blocks. Neji congratulated Hizashi and Tenten heard her little boy giggling.

It didn't take her long to get a load of laundry in and she came back to see Neji happily sitting beside Hizashi as Hizashi built a block pyramid. Hatomi stood beside Neji, leaning on him with one hand in his hair and her thumb in her mouth. She wasn't sucking it per se, just keeping the tip in her mouth for now.

"Loks," Hatomi said.

A new one and a weird one. Tenten looked down at her little girl in question.

"Loks?" Tenten asked.

She stood near her family but Hatomi had her eyes on Neji's face while Hizashi stacked his blocks.

"No idea, but she likes it. Loks?" Neji questioned Hatomi.

"Loks!" Hatomi pointed to the blocks.

Oh. _Oh._ Huh.

"Blocks," Neji said.

Hatomi stared at him while sucking her thumb in thought.

"Bloks," Hatomi said.

Tenten gaped but sat beside her little girl. No way. They were only six months!

"Blocks," Neji said a bit slower.

Hatomi sucked her thumb for a moment, eyebrows furrowed in thought. She kept one hand tangled in Neji's hair as Neji repeated the word.

"Blocks," Hatomi said.

"That's right, blocks," Neji said with a smile.

Hatomi beamed then started giggling. Tenten hugged her from behind and felt her little girl gasp in shock then laugh.

"Blocks! Blocks! Blocks!" Hatomi said.

Tenten beamed, blinking back her tears of joy while Neji chuckled and kissed Hatomi's forehead. She pointed to Hizashi's block tower.

"Blocks! Blocks! Blocks!"

"Yes, yes, yes," Neji said with a laugh.

"Es!" Hatomi said then giggled.

Tenten let her daughter go to see Hizashi had made a double pyramid. Tenten smiled before shifting to sit beside her son. She hugged him and kissed his forehead. Hizashi chuckled at her, happy for attention.

"Es?" Hatomi questioned.

"Es," Neji said.

"Blocks," Hatomi said.

"Es," Neji said.

Tenten snorted. She watched as Hizashi kept making a double pyramid. He topped it with two triangle blocks then grinned. Tenten burst out laughing when he knocked it down. Not all of the blocks fell and Hizashi hummed in thought. Tenten watched him start rebuilding the tower.

"You know we have little geniuses, right?" Tenten asked.

"I know," Neji replied.

"Oh," Hatomi said.

Tenten looked to Hatomi then raised an eyebrow.

"She's copying the last sounds you make," Tenten said.

"Ake," Hatomi said.

"We make," Neji corrected.

"Ake," Hatomi repeated.

Tenten shook her head but kept a smile on her face. Okay, so her six month older daughter was trying to talk while her six month old son was building towers and figuring out the best way to knock them down. She should've expected this. Her husband was a genius and she was pretty damned smart in her own way.

"Ake," Hatomi said.

"Hn," Neji told her.

"Hn," Hatomi repeated.

Tenten rolled her eyes as her husband and daughter communicated in Neji's trademark sound. Hizashi had built up his double pyramid again and stared at it for a few moments. He swatted it with the dog bone and it toppled, more blocks coming down this time. Tenten kissed the back of his head and he giggled.

Tenten had to get up to move wet clothes into the dryer then put another load in but Hizashi was still entertained by the blocks what Hatomi still made sounds at Neji who either copied her or gave her new ones. She sat with Neji and their kids while Hizashi kept amused by the blocks and Hatomi kept babbling at Neji.

"Do you want me to make lunch?" Neji questioned.

"Nch," Hatomi said.

"We can do it together," Tenten told him.

"Hn," Neji said.

"Hn," Hatomi repeated.

Tenten snickered. She lifted Hizashi and he pouted before smacking her arm with his bone.

"Hey, no," Tenten said.

Hizashi blinked then dropped the bone. He watched it fall then looked up at Tenten. Tenten kept her laugh down but smiled at her son.

"Bah," Hizashi said and grasped for the bone.

Tenten bent and picked up the bone in her free hand before handing it back to him. Hizashi beamed. Tenten put him on her left hip before heading to the kitchen when Neji had all ready started preparing rice.

Tenten hummed as she helped Neji made miso soup, chicken fried rice, fish cakes, steamed veggies, and grilled salmon. Hatomi clung to Neji with one thumb in her mouth but not sucking while her other hand wrapped in his hair. Neji held her around the waist, his hand under her diapered bottom to keep her steady and she had her legs against his body, kind of wrapped around his waist as much as she could.

Her pale gold eyes focused on whatever Neji did be it stir something, flip something or season something. Tenten smiled at her little girl dressed in the pale blue sundress and little blue socks. Tenten readjusted Hizashi for what felt like the millionth time.

Unlike his sister, Hizashi _hung_ from Tenten's arm, not holding onto her collar or keeping his legs wrapped around her waist. His stomach was against her forearm as he hung his feet and arms towards the ground, giggling as he squeaked the bone in his hands. His little feet in their blue socks kicked back and forth, sometimes hitting her thigh. He wore blue pants and a white tee shirt with a blue monkey on it.

"Jeez, why can't he stay still?" Tenten questioned.

"Eez," Hatomi said.

"He is your son," Neji said.

"Un," Hatomi said.

"Yeah, yeah, and she's a little daddy's girl," Tenten said.

"Irl," Hatomi said.

Tenten giggled at her daughter who was serious as she repeated sounds and watched Neji cook. When lunch was almost finished, a knock came to the door. Tenten half turned and smiled.

"The door's open Sakura," Tenten called out.

"Ura," Hatomi said.

Tenten snorted at her but left Neji to finish lunch as she strode towards the door. Sakura came into the house with a little smile, Sarada in a bassinet in Sakura's right hand while Sakura carried a baby bag in her left.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Sakura said. "Sarada had a diaper issue then I forgot some things and had to go back."

Tenten smiled but inwardly wanted to track Sasuke down so she could fill him with senbon. The prick hadn't come back _once_ since after his wedding. Tenten thanked Kami Neji didn't go on long missions and was still with her helping her raise their kids.

"It's not a problem, come on sit down," Tenten said.

"Ura," Hatomi said.

Sakura stopped a few steps from the kitchen table and gaped at Hatomi. Tenten winked at the pink haired woman. Sakura chuckled before sitting in one of their chairs and setting down both the bassinet and baby bag. Tenten watched as Sakura pulled Sarada out of the bassinet and into her lap.

"She's talking?" Sakura asked.

"Repeating sounds but she did say block," Neji said.

"Block," Hatomi said.

"Oh wow! That's amazing," Sakura said.

"Zing," Hatomi said.

Tenten grinned when Sakura giggled. Sakura hip-held Sarada to help Neji and Tenten get everything to the table. Neji brought out a high chair before placing Hatomi into it. It freed him up to get two other high chairs. Tenten happily sat Hizashi in one while Sakura put Sarada in the other.

It freed them all up to finish getting stuff together for lunch. Tenten sat between Neji and Hizashi while Hatomi took up Neji's other side. Sakura had put Sarada beside Hizashi which put her between Sarada and Hatomi.

They gave thanks. Tenten ate a few bites of food before offering Hizashi a baby spoon of pureed bananas. He was more interested in squeaking the dog bone. Tenten rolled her eyes and kept eating with one hand, offering the banana to Hizashi with the other.

Neji was having more luck with Hatomi. She opened her mouth for him, letting him put the pureed banana in her mouth then closed her lips over the pinkie-fingernail sized spoon so he could pull it gently out of her mouth.

"Aw," Sakura said. "She's such a daddy's girl."

"Hn," Neji said with a smile.

"Hn," Hatomi repeated while Neji loaded up her spoon.

Sakura laughed. Tenten sighed as Hizashi ignored his food to play with the dog bone.

"Can I switch you kids?" Tenten asked Neji.

He raised an eyebrow at her and frowned. Tenten rolled her eyes but went back to her son. She made an engine sound and Hizashi looked up as Tenten waved the spoon around the air. Hizashi opened his mouth and she put the spoon in it before he changed his mind.

"Finally, jeez," Tenten said.

"Eez," Hatomi said.

"Eez indeed," Neji said.

"Eed," Hatomi said.

Sakura smirked. Tenten saw Sakura giving Sarada food but the little girl stubbornly kept her mouth closed. Neji had no issue feeing Hatomi.

"So, how much are they eating of puree stuff?" Sakura questioned.

"Quarter cup pureed fruit, quarter cup pureed vegetable, six tablespoons of cereal, and breast milk spread out over three meals," Neji said.

Sakura nodded, impressed. Tenten kept making noises at Hizashi so he would eat. Sakura tried but Sarada teared up. Sakura hushed her little girl, ruffling Sarada's black spiky hair. Sarada sniffled but didn't start crying. Sakura let out a breath.

"Obviously you two got this whole parenting thing down," Sakura said.

Tenten frowned. Sakura's eyes had gone misty, her shoulders had sagged and she looked at her daughter with tired eyes. Tenten glanced to Neji who had a little frown on his face and slightly narrowed eyes. His eyes met hers and she pursed her lips slightly. Neji gave her a small shrug.

"It took a while," Neji said as he gave Hatomi a bit more banana. "For the first three months this place was a wreck until we got into a routine. Worse still these two were colic for two of those three months. If we got two hours of sleep a night we would count it a good night."

"I almost dropped Hizashi once feeding him because I was so exhausted," Tenten said.

Sakura gasped. Neji nodded as Hatomi took some pureed carrots. He shifted between carrots and banana. Soon he would give her cereal mixed with some of the breast milk Tenten had pumped last night.

"And Hatomi almost cracked her head off the floor when she rolled and fell off the changing table when Neji was changing her. I almost put them both into a scalding hot bath once because I wasn't paying attention. It's hard," Tenten said.

Sakura winced but nodded. She opened her mouth but closed it, watching as Neji carefully wiped some food off Hatomi's chin with his napkin.

"Trust us when we say we know, we _all_ know. If you ever need help, do not be afraid to ask," Neji said.

Tenten smiled inwardly. He had said the words so casually but he had met Sakura's eyes. Sakura sniffled but nodded, wiping away any tears before they fell.

"Thanks," Sakura said.

"Anks," Hatomi said.

This made them all laugh which made Hatomi, Hizashi, and Sarada start giggling. Tenten smiled at her chuckling Neji. So what if Sasuke was going to be an ass and miss his kid growing up? Tenten and Neji could take Sakura in and help her until her dumbass husband got his head out of his ass.

* * *

Er, sorry, some Sasuke bashing. I mean, I know he had good reason for leaving what with cleaning up after the war and checking out leads from the Kage summit but really. He doesn't even recognize his own daughter when he first sees her, doesn't even _know_ her. What kind of father does that?

Reviews welcome.


	11. Growing Up

**Growing Up**

 **Author's Note:** Again, time skipping cuz I can. I'm not sure how long I'll give baby growing chapters or how long I'll be writing this thing but it's become really fun.

 **WARNING:** Exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji _lives_. They're in their 20s in this more plot less kinky sex story.

As previously stated: chapter a day till Nov. 1 where I'll be taking a break from posting and writing fanfiction to write my original fiction for NaNoWriMo.

* * *

"Dada?"

Tenten sighed at Hatomi who stood in front of the door with her hands flat on the door itself as she looked up at the handle. Hizashi played with their toys, stacking blocks into towers, spinning various spinning toys, making sense of big puzzles, and a variety of other things. Hatomi though, she missed her father.

Tenten missed Neji too. He had been on a mission for a week while Tenten took care of both kids. At first, Hatomi had assumed Neji would be back that night to tuck her in. She bawled when he did not walk through the nursery door. The second day she kept looking up at Tenten with confusion written all over her little face.

Nine months old and Hatomi could understand her daddy was gone and she didn't like it. Nine months old and Hatomi could stand on her own so long as she was leaning against something or used furniture to pull herself up. Nine months old and Hatomi seemed to _understand_ much more than any child her age should.

Hizashi understood different things. Where Hatomi got the meaning behind words and concepts, Hizashi realized how physical items went together as well as cause and effect. He realized the effect of gravity on items and could figure out structural integrity. He saw how shapes fit into each other and puzzled out how objects related.

Hatomi comprehended these concepts as well but not to the extent of her brother. She learned through sound and watching like her father while Hizashi learned through doing, like Tenten. The idea of daddy not being home didn't hit Hizashi until the second day while Hatomi had been moping since the night Neji left.

For the past four days Hatomi had wanted to stick by the door for when Neji came home. Tenten left her daughter where she was since the moment Tenten tried to move her was the moment Hatomi would burst into tears and not stop crying until she was placed back in front of the door. She would sleep there if Tenten didn't pick her up and put her in her crib.

"He'll be home soon," Tenten said.

She sat near Hizashi but turned so she could keep an eye on Hatomi and Hizashi at the same time. Thankfully they didn't have a wall separating their hallway from their sitting room. All Tenten had to do was make sure she was scooted back enough to see around the shelves which held their movies.

"Dada?" Hatomi asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Yeah, dada will be home soon," Tenten said.

"Soon?" Hatomi questioned.

"Yeah, dada soon," Tenten replied with a smile.

"Dada soon," Hatomi said with a pout.

Tenten smiled at her daughter as Hatomi went back to looking at the door. Talk about separation anxiety. Tenten had a feeling Hizashi wouldn't be so upset if Tenten went missing for a week. Hizashi had Tenten's independent streak along with her personality. Hatomi was more like Neji despite her want to talk early.

Hatomi kept staring at the door and Tenten watched her. Hatomi kept her hands up high, palms flat against the door with her head tilted up to where Neji's face would be when Neji opened the door. Tenten had put her in a pair of black stretchy pants and a white sweater. Her socks were white as well and Tenten had pulled up her hair into two pigtails.

Tenten couldn't see her face all that well but knew Hatomi would be okay. Hatomi knew enough to move when the handle moved. Tenten watched as Hizashi made a tower out of his blocks that kind of resembled the Hokage tower. He had made one big rounded area with another round area atop. He was working on the smaller rounded buildings set back from the main tower.

Okay, so yeah, she took the kids on walks as often as they could go provided it wasn't snowing or too cold. Neji had usually been with her all those times except of course this week. And sure, they walked to the Hokage Tower since it wasn't that far, really, and yeah, Hizashi had probably seen the Tower at least a hundred times but the fact he could replicate it...

"Dada!"

Tenten looked up to see Hatomi trying to reach the door handle. Tenten frowned and got to her feet. She stopped a few steps from her daughter when Hatomi turned and couldn't help but stare at her little girl.

"Dada!"

Hatomi had the biggest smile on her face but Tenten wasn't looking at Hatomi's beaming grin. No, Tenten was focused on the veins which had started from the sides of Hatomi's face to go up to her eyes. Tenten couldn't help but gaze at Hatomi's eyes, light gold with little slashes of deeper gold in a circle to make up a sort of pupil.

Hatomi could _see_ her father coming because Hatomi, little genius she was, had activated her Byakugan. Tenten didn't know what to do so she simply gaped at her daughter as Hatomi started slapping her open palms against the door and calling out for Neji.

The handle flicked and Hatomi fell backwards onto her butt, scooting back as the door opened to reveal Neji. Tenten couldn't speak even when Neji met her eyes. One elegant brow raised and a frown came onto his face.

Neji's shoulders had snow on them and his pants were wet with it. His hair was damp, hanging down his back in loose curls. Tenten didn't say a word as Neji looked down to Hatomi who had grabbed Neji's pants and pulled herself against his legs.

"Dada home," Hatomi said.

"Yes, I'm home," Neji said softly.

A smile came to his face and Tenten could do nothing but watch as Neji easily lifted Hatomi into his arms. Normally he would step deeper into the house while nuzzling Hatomi's face and shutting the door but he stopped when he looked at Hatomi's eyes.

Tenten kept her eyes on Neji as his lips parted and white eyes went wide. Neji's brows raised and his shoulders stiffened. Actually, his entire body tensed as he took in his daughter's pale gold eyes with their Byakugan veins.

"Byakugan," Neji muttered.

"Dada,"

Hatomi wrapped her arms around Neji's neck and buried her head in his hair. Neji put a hand on her back, his opposite arm supporting her butt to keep her against him, high on his chest. Neji pushed the door closed with his foot.

"When did she?" Neji asked.

"Just before you got in," Tenten replied.

"Hn,"

His worried sound. Tenten made her body move and she embraced Neji, putting her head in his opposite shoulder and wrapping her arms around his body. He was chilled from the weather outside, his clothes damp, but Tenten didn't care. He smelled like woods, snow, and _Neji_.

"The Elders promised they would not seal them," Neji said.

"Yeah, but that was _before_ they were born and _before_ Hatomi decided to be a genius and activate her Byakugan at nine months," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

Another concerned sound. His arm came down and wrapped around Tenten's waist. He kept the arm supporting Hatomi's butt where it was as Hatomi had wrapped her tiny hand in Neji's flank vest to keep her tight against him.

"Miss dada," Hatomi said.

"I missed you too, Princess," Neji told her absently.

Tenten knew, like her, Neji was thinking of the Elders. A deep pit had opened in her stomach and her heart was slamming against her sternum. Tears stung her eyes but she wouldn't dare let them fall. She could feel Neji shivering against her but not from the cold he had escaped from. He was as scared as she was.

It had been fun to think Hatomi and Hizashi would have Byakugan, especially when they hadn't opened their eyes after nine days. Even so, they hadn't told the Elders their twins hadn't opened their eyes right away. Hiashi and Hanabi didn't even know as they had been too busy to visit until day fifteen. Both had looked at the twins' eyes in wonder though.

Now that Hatomi had _activated_ Byakugan though...

Tenten trembled. She let out a breath before turning her head to see what Hizashi was doing. Hizashi was doing his butt shuffle to get to them and Tenten smiled at her son. When he got close enough, he hoisted himself onto his feet by Tenten's pants.

"Umm," Hizashi said.

He couldn't say 'p' but Tenten knew this meant her normally independent boy wanted to be picked up. He had sensed something. Tenten shifted out of Neji's arm and lifted Hizashi into one arm before wrapping the other around Neji. Hizashi grabbed his father's flank vest, hovering on the opposite shoulder as Hatomi. Neji's arm came around them both and he sighed.

"We will not be able to keep this a secret for long," Neji said gently.

"I know," Tenten said.

"But it is winter," Neji said. "Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama will be taking this time to catch up on any work they could not do through the summer. It will be a while before they visit again. Hinata-sama is pregnant so she will not want to risk taking the walk when the snow is coming down."

"So, we might have until what, the end of February? That's a little over a month," Tenten said.

Neji let out another breath. Tenten noticed Hizashi sucked on one thumb, something her son hadn't done for weeks now. Even Hatomi seemed to have picked up on the seriousness of the mood as she had lifted her head from Neji's head to stare at both of them.

"I do not know what the Elders would do. All I know is they did verbally promise in front of many clan members and the clan head that they would not brand my children," Neji said.

"Yeah but there wasn't any formal discussion about the circumstances," Tenten said.

She hated to remind him of that little point. Neji scowled and his eyes widened to get the full effect of the creepy whiteness. It didn't bother Tenten as much as it used to.

"The circumstances were either they let me marry you, let us live outside the Compound, and _not_ brand our children or I give my eyes to Orochimaru," Neji said.

Tenten frowned.

"You know as well as I do Orochimaru isn't a viable threat anymore. He's agreed to work _with_ Konoha now and isn't a Missing Nin. That means he won't be _allowed_ to accept your proposition."

Neji let out a puff of air which breezed over her face.

"Then I will go to someone else."

"And leave _us_ behind? Hatomi plopped in front of that door four days ago and didn't _move_ from it unless I moved her to bed or for food. And what will you do when they leave you _blind_? You think they're going to be nice enough to escort you back home? And if they do, how in the Hell are you supposed to watch your children grow up without eyes?"

Tenten hadn't raised her voice but she did see both Hizashi and Hatomi cower, golden eyes going damp. She had her angry voice going. Neji let out a breath and his jaw went tense.

"So what do you suggest? Should we allow our children to be branded with the same seal as I?" Neji questioned.

His voice rarely raised but the raging tones were there. Hatomi sniffled. Tenten took a deep breath, counted to ten, then let out her breath. Neji did the same. They parted. Neji got his boots off one handed as Tenten carried Hizashi to the couch.

Tenten heard the thud of Neji's supply bag hitting the floor by the door. He would tend to it once he had a shower and got dressed. Of course they still had to continue their talk.

She tried to put Hizashi down once she was on the couch but he clung to her collar. Tenten let out a breath and let him sit in her lap, snuggling tight to her body. She wrapped her arms around his tiny body and kissed the thick dark hair on his head.

Neji sat beside her with Hatomi equally attached. She had buried her face into Neji's neck and clutched his flank vest so hard her little knuckles had gone white. Neji held her close, rocking her slightly.

"So, what do we do?" Neji questioned softly.

Tenten sighed. She had no idea. Sure, the Elders had said they wouldn't brand her and Neji's kids but Neji's threat was gone. The Elders had probably all assumed Neji's kids would never have Byakugan since to them, she was a poppet. In their eyes her genes mixing with Neji's would weaken the Hyuuga. Well she had certainly shown them.

"We have a month to figure it out," Tenten said. "Until then, well, we keep them close."

"Hn,"

Agreement but he was still worried. Tenten smiled when Neji leaned over and kissed her cheek. He made to put Hatomi on the floor but she wouldn't go. Her Byakugan had deactivated at least. Tenten grinned.

"Daddy wants to take a shower and change," Neji told her.

"No go dada," Hatomi said with a trembling lower lip.

Neji smiled softly as his daughter and Tenten felt her heart melting. The love in those white eyes when he looked at Hatomi, Hizashi, and her was too damn sweet.

"You're going to have to take her with you," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

Amused but tired. Neji got up regardless and carried Hatomi to the bathroom. Tenten followed and watched with a smile as Neji sat on the edge of the tub. Hatomi understood Neji's intentions and squirmed until he put her down. Neji took off his flank vest first and managed to toss it in the hamper. Tenten smiled as he peeled off his damp shirt then his wet pants. He wore nothing underneath.

Tenten licked her lips at Neji's naked body as he took off his hitai-ate. Kami, they hadn't _touched_ for ten months. They had been too damn tired. How Naruto managed to get Hinata pregnant was beyond her but the couple did have only _one_ child to deal with.

"Me?" Hatomi said.

Neji chuckled at her but nodded. He did plug up the bathtub before turning on the water. Tenten smiled as he pulled off Hatomi's clothes and diaper. He took the pigtails out of her hair then pulled her into his lap. Tenten tried not to be jealous of her daughter but she couldn't help it.

"Would you like to join, mommy? There is enough room in here," Neji said.

Tenten gulped. There _was_ enough room in their tub. They had tested the theory. Neji smiled at her, one eyebrow raised and Tenten grinned back. She entered the bathroom before settling Hizashi on the floor. She stripped her giggling boy, tickling his bare belly a bit, before pulling off her clothes.

Neji filled the tub half way before stopping the water. He tested it then nodded. Tenten couldn't help but watch as he swung his legs around so his feet and lower legs hit the water. He lowered himself into the tub, keeping one arm around Hatomi while the other arm supported him from falling. Neji went to the back of the tub and _winked._

Tenten grinned before picking up Hizashi and stepping into the tub with him. He started splashing instantly and Tenten laughed. Neji chuckled along with her before shifting Hatomi to rest on his upper thigh.

"Bubs?" Hizashi asked.

"No, no bubbles," Neji said.

He had reached up to grab the shampoo. Tenten smiled when he spread his legs so she could kneel between them. She balanced Hizashi in front of Hatomi and the two began to splash each other. Tenten helped Neji get shampoo into his long hair then helped him wash it. He sighed happily as Tenten massaged his scalp.

She did notice him getting hard and felt wetness inside her but not from the warm bathwater. She helped him put his hair into a shampoo filled bun at the top of his head then moved up so she could grab the liquid soap. It put her breasts in Neji's face. She shivered when he licked her right breast, running his tongue over her nipple.

"Pash," Hizashi said with a giggle.

Tenten bit her lip and felt her cheeks heat as she lowered her body. Neji had a flush on his cheeks as well and was looking at their two children splashing the water near them while they sat on his left thigh. Tenten let out a breath to calm her throbbing pussy but it didn't help much. Neji was hard and turning pink. She could see the lust in his eyes as if it had been tattooed there.

They had their kids in the water with them.

Tenten popped the top on the liquid soap then squeezed some onto a wash cloth. She got some good foam going before plopping the wash cloth onto Neji's chest and starting to scrub. Hatomi noticed the motion and giggled. Tenten smiled at Neji as he held their children still on his thigh while she ran the wash cloth and her bare hand over his chest and abs.

"Tenten,"

His voice was light and breathy. Tenten smiled as she skimmed his pubic hair before going to his arms. Neji let out a long breath, leaning back so his head rested on the wall as Tenten washed his arms and their kids. Hizashi and Hatomi chuckled merrily as she tickled them and blew raspberries at them.

She rinsed them quickly and they kept laughing as Neji helped. Tenten winked at him before washing his kid-free thigh. He gasped when she brushed the back of her hand against his still hard cock. Hizashi and Hatomi had gone back to splashing in the water, unconcerned about what Tenten was doing to Neji.

Tenten washed Neji's legs before skimming the wash cloth over his groin. Neji bit his lip and shifted towards her hand. His white eyes landed on their children but both were distracted by the bubbles the soap had created. Tenten wrapped the wash cloth around Neji's cock and started pumping.

Neji shuddered under her hand, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back. He bit his lip to keep from groaning as she fisted him. He came less than a minute later with a little sigh. Tenten gave him a wink when he looked at her. Hatomi and Hizashi hadn't noticed a thing.

"We're going to Hell," Neji said.

"Eh, it'll be warm," Tenten told him.

Neji chuckled at her as she rinsed out the wash cloth. She moved until she could sit at the edge of the tub. Hatomi and Hizashi looked at her with pouts when she unplugged the tub to let the water drain. She smiled at them before taking down the shower head and making sure the water was a decent temperature before rinsing soap off everyone.

"Okay you two, we should let daddy finish up in here," Tenten said.

Hatomi pouted. Tenten kissed Hatomi's forehead before getting out of the tub and wrapping Hizashi in a big puffy towel. She sat him on the floor and got Hatomi. Neji stood then winked before pulling the shower curtain closed. Tenten watched his shadow as he put the shower head back in place before turning to rinse out his hair.

Tenten donned her robe before lifting Hizashi under one arm and Hatomi in the other. They giggled as she brought them into the nursery and began drying them off on the soft, clean area rug. She tickled their tummies and ruffled their damp hair as they kept laughing happily. Neji joined them after a few minutes, just as she got them both back into diapers.

"Dada," Hatomi said.

Tenten smiled at Neji who wore nothing but a towel around his waist and one in a turban on his head. He dressed Hatomi in pair of white stretchy pants and a blue dress with short sleeves. She happily sat in his lap as he brushed her hair.

Hizashi sat still for long enough for her to pull him into gray pants and a blue shirt. He was squirming when she tried to brush his hair but she didn't mind. She could finger comb it and Hizashi's hair would sit neatly against his head. He started scooting away from her on his butt and she laughed at him.

"Hn, if we put a wash cloth under him then he can clean the floors," Neji said.

Tenten nodded but stood as Hizashi scooted out of the nursery. He got tired of scooting a foot outside the nursery and shifted to actually crawling the rest of the way to the living room. He got to the couch then pulled himself to his feet before cruising towards his blocks. Tenten stayed in the living room with Hizashi until Neji came into the room, fully dressed with Hatomi in his arms.

He had tied his hair into a damp pony tail and wore a towel like a cape over his shoulders. Hatomi had one hand curled into his plain tee shirt and the other hiding behind his neck as Neji held her one armed high on his chest. Neji settled onto the couch beside Tenten and kissed her cheek.

"I cleaned up in the bathroom," Neji said.

"Aw, good man," Tenten told him.

"I try," Neji said.

She left him with their children so she could get dressed. It didn't take her long to pull on clean clothes and put her robe away. When she came back she saw Neji with his eyes half closed on the couch. Hizashi was banging his blocks together lightly as he thought about where to put the blocks on his replica Hokage Tower.

Hatomi had leaned fully against Neji, her head on his shoulder while she curled up in his lap watching her brother out of the corner of her eyes. Tenten sat beside Neji on the couch and pulled his head towards her so he leaned on her shoulder.

"Hn,"

His "thanks" sound. Tenten grinned before running her hand over his damp hair. Tenten enjoyed the peaceful moment with her family: Neji snuggled against her shoulder, Hatomi cuddled against his chest, and Hizashi happily playing with his blocks.

No one would take this away from her. Tenten would fill anyone who tried full of senbon even if it was the stupid Hyuuga Elders wanted to brand her kids. Tenten licked her lips. Yeah, that was a good plan.

* * *

"I can't believe they're a year all ready,"

Tenten couldn't believe it either and she lived with her kids. Ino shook her head after her remark and smiled at Hatomi and Hizashi. The Konoha Eleven had come over to her and Neji's house to celebrate Hatomi and Hizashi's first birthday.

It meant Boruto, Shikadai, Metal, Chocho, Sarada, and Inojin were playing with her and Neji's twins. Boruto ran around the yard while Shikadai lay in the middle of the yard watching the clouds. Metal wobbled around the yard, not walking well yet, but Hatomi and Hizashi were able to chase after Boruto.

Chocho wobbled fairly well but Sarada was still crawling as was Inojin. Hinata had started showing again, five months pregnant now and due in August. No one else was pregnant but not for lack of trying. For Sakura it was more lack of her husband coming back.

"And they're like, months ahead," Sakura said.

"Yeah, it's scary cuz they're into coloring, they try to move heavy stuff, and they _love_ peek-a-boo," Tenten said.

"That's more of thirteen months," Temari said.

"That's insane," Kiba muttered.

"These _are_ Neji and Tenten's kids," Shikamaru said.

This got a laugh out of everyone, even Hiashi. They watched as Boruto kept out of Hizashi and Hatomi's reach but neither gave up. Boruto went down because of his own feet. Hizashi cackled madly before jumping a top the slightly older boy. Hatomi tried to stop but tripped and face planted, skidding along the grass a few inches.

"Uh-oh," Tenten said.

"Hn," Neji muttered.

He was on his feet a moment later. Hatomi rolled onto her back and sat up. Tears were welling up in her eyes and Tenten saw a huge grass stain across Hatomi's pink dress. Hatomi spotted the grass stain then burst into tears.

"Aw," Ino cooed.

"Wait for it," Tenten said.

She tried not to laugh while Neji casually stepped off the porch and into the grass.

"Daddy," Hatomi called out.

She raised her hands in a classic "pick me up" position as she sobbed. Boruto and Hizashi had stopped rolling around in the grass to gape at her in wonder.

"Oh Kami that's too cute," Temari said between chuckles.

Tenten grinned as her friends laughed. Neji swooped Hatomi into his arms and instantly she buried her head into his shoulder, crying against his neck and clinging to his shirt and hair. Neji rubbed her back as he carried her back towards the porch.

Neji said nothing as he strode by their laughing friends and into the house through their open sliding doors. Her friends calmed down enough and Tenten noticed Boruto and Hizashi still half-wrapped in each other's arms to wrestle on the grass but looking stunned.

Tenten giggled when the boys figured everything was okay and went back to rolling over the grass and each other. Metal had caught up and threw himself to the ground with a thunk. Lee and Yusa winced but Metal rolled around with the two other boys while laughing happily.

"I swear he's _made_ of metal," Yusa muttered.

"Yosh, it's youth," Guy-sensei said.

"Yeah, youth and whatever the Hell you two are feeding him," Naruto said. "He's almost as tall as Boruto and he's three months younger."

Lee gave a "Nice Guy" pose. Naruto rolled his eyes. They talked about whatever came to mind but conversation stopped when Neji came back onto the porch with Hatomi still in his arms. She wore a different pink dress with the same white knee high socks, pink shoes, and white hair band. Neji tried to set her on the ground but she tugged his hair.

"Ow, Princess that hurt," Neji said with a huff.

She pouted at him. A few snickers as he hummed then sat on the end of their half-enclosed porch, his back leaning against the huge door frame leading to their lawn. Their porch took up the entire windowed side of their house and had a roof. Fencing went to waist high while the rest to the roof was windows which could be opened. The doors of their porch lined up with the sliding doors but were twice as big.

In one corner was a wooden swinging bench and the other was the outdoor couches and chairs with the table. More chairs had been added, simple folding ones they kept in the shed to the far corner of their backyard, for today's event.

Tenten watched as Neji extended his long, muscular legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankle. Hatomi moved until she straddled him, rubbing her face into his chest and clutching his hair in one hand, his shirt in the other. Neji sighed and rubbed her back.

"Such a daddy's girl," Kiba said with a laugh.

"She's like a little barnacle," Tenten said.

"Hn," Neji muttered.

Tenten grinned at him. She watched as Hizashi, Boruto, and Metal rolled across the lawn eventually being forced to stop lest they roll over Sarada and Chocho who played with stuffed animals on the lawn. Inojin flicked a stuffed bear back and forth but didn't look entirely enthused to be stuck playing with the two girls. Tenten was pretty sure Shikadai had fallen asleep in the grass.

Boruto got to his feet and Hizashi got up after him. Metal struggled then fell backwards on his ass. Yusa and Lee winced but Metal simply tried again while Hizashi and Boruto half ran, half walked towards the porch. Metal fell on his face this time.

"Jeez," Ino muttered.

"Tell me about it," Karui said.

"He's fine, surprisingly," Yusa said.

"He gets it from me," Lee proclaimed with a grin.

"No sh-uh, yeah, no, yeah," Kiba said.

Chuckles. Everyone watched as Boruto and Hizashi stood beside Neji, covered in grass stains and grass with their hair a mess and their clothes rumpled.

"Play?" Boruto asked.

He extended a hand to Hatomi. This got coos from all the women in attendance and snickers from the guys. Tenten grinned. Hatomi blinked at Boruto then shook her head. Boruto stared at her, head tilted to a side and a painfully confused look on his face.

"Play?" Boruto questioned again.

Hatomi sniffled then buried her face into Neji's shoulder. Neji hummed.

"She wants to rest right now," Neji said to Boruto.

Boruto frowned. Hizashi started walking away to Metal who had finally managed to stand without tipping over.

"Bad," Boruto said and pointed to Hatomi.

"She's not bad," Naruto told his son.

Boruto huffed. He bopped Hatomi on the head with a flat palm. Silence for a few seconds then Hatomi sniffled. Neji's Byakugan activated and he sat up from his lounging position. Boruto gasped and fell onto his ass.

"Boruto, apologize to Hatomi this instant," Hinata said.

Boruto gulped. Tenten sighed as Neji kept glaring at Boruto. She did hear Hanabi chuckle and saw Hizashi was coming over with a little frown on his face.

"No," Boruto said.

Naruto got to his feet as Boruto stuck his tongue out at Hatomi. Before anyone could process the affront completely, Hatomi got out of Neji's arms. Tenten mentally cursed when the veins appeared around her daughter's eyes. She saw Hiashi's eyes widened and his lips part. Hanabi spat water out of her mouth. Hinata gasped and covered her mouth.

Neji reached out for his daughter but she kicked Boruto in the shin before he could grab her as he too had been stunned by seeing her Byakugan activate for the second time. Hatomi yelped in shock but her Byakugan stayed active. She struggled against Neji but he was up and forcing her head into his chest, covering her eyes with his hand.

Boruto gaped in awe as Neji took off into the living room with a sobbing Hatomi. Tenten winced when Hizashi whacked Boruto over the head with a block.

"Bad," Hizashi said.

"Damn it," Naruto muttered.

Tenten reacted first, picking up her son before he could do any more damage with his block while Boruto burst into tears. She noticed when she turned that Hiashi was missing from their group. Everyone else had been too stunned to see the older Hyuuga move.

Tenten found him standing in front of Neji who stood in the kitchen, back against the counter as he kept Hatomi's head in his chest, covering her face with one hand. Tenten tucked a squirming Hizashi under one arm as she approached.

Neji had his Byakugan activated but so did Hiashi. Tenten sensed others and half turned to see Hanabi and Hinata come into the living room. Hinata shut the door behind her and everyone watched. No one tried to follow.

"When did she manifest it?" Hiashi asked.

"Manifest what?" Neji returned.

Tenten sat Hizashi on the kitchen table then clamped a hand over his mouth.

"No hitting, that's bad," Tenten told him.

It was hard to keep her eyes on her son when Hiashi glared at Neji, gritting his teeth. Hizashi did have tears in his eyes at least. Tenten noticed Hanabi and Hinata had come to stand in the kitchen, Hanabi close to her father and Hinata kind of in between Neji and Hiashi.

"I know you wanted to protect your sister but that was mean," Tenten said to Hizashi.

He sniffled. Tenten didn't know if he fully understood but set him on the ground. She placed him in the time out corner and he sat there with his head down. Now she could take care of the bigger problem.

"Neji, I can _see_ the charka around her eyes. Do _not_ take me for a fool," Hiashi said.

"She manifested it three months ago the day Neji came back from that week long mission," Tenten said.

She glared at Neji's angry, betrayed look.

"Right, cuz he would totally believe he was seeing things. They would find out eventually," Tenten said.

Neji sighed and as he did, his body relaxed marginally. At least he lowered his hand so Hatomi could pop her head out of her father's chest and blink. She still had Byakugan activated. Tenten tensed as Hiashi lifted one hand and gently turned Hatomi's face to his.

She blinked at him, light gold eyes wide and lips parted. Hiashi frowned. Tenten noticed Hanabi had crossed her arms under her bust and had a scowl on her face. Hinata was nibbling on her lower lip.

"Orochimaru is no longer something you can threaten the Elders with," Hiashi said softly.

"I am aware of that," Neji said.

"If any Hyuuga tries to take Hatomi away to put that seal on her then I'll kill them," Tenten said.

She stood her ground when Hiashi turned to face her, one eyebrow raised. He did let go of Hatomi at least. Hatomi decided hiding in daddy's neck was the safest move but Tenten didn't blame her daughter.

"Will you now?" Hiashi asked.

"You bet your ass I will," Tenten said. "I've all ready put enough traps in place over their window even Neji wouldn't be able to sneak through and every one of those traps aims to take out eyes. You _know_ I'm a strong enough kunoichi I _will_ wake up to the slightest bit of unfamiliar charka in my home. You _know_ how I react to chakra I don't recognize."

To emphasis this point she summoned a senbon. It was airborne before Hiashi realized she summoned it. He winced when it flew past his right eye, close enough it took out some hair then embedded itself in a cupboard behind Hiashi's head.

"And you _know_ I intentionally missed just now,"

Hiashi nodded. He touched the tip of his right ear and his hand came away with blood on it. Hanabi winced. Hinata let out a little breath. Neji smiled for a moment before putting his face back to neutral. Hiashi snorted softly but shook his head.

"We will not be able to keep this a secret," Hiashi said. "There are too many witnesses, some of which are children who will not know any better. I did have the Elders sign a contract outlining Neji's requests before you two were wed. Even so, Neji and you no longer have anything to bargain or threaten the Hyuuga with besides obvious physical harm. I do not know how the Elders will react to this news but I doubt it will be with kindness."

Tenten gritted her teeth. Hanabi huffed as Hinata scowled. Neji kept holding Hatomi close, rubbing her back and humming a light tune under his breath. At least they had all ready done the present and cake thing. The birthday wasn't an entire bust.

"We all know Neji is part of the Branch House and we know any child he bears is Branch which means under Hyuuga Law they are to be sealed. I do not want to put that seal on Hatomi or Hizashi but I am not the only one who knows how to do it. I will try my best to control my family and I will hold no ill regard to you if you happen to take someone's eyes out protecting your children. I cannot say the same about the Elders," Hiashi said.

It didn't sound promising. If she did take out a Hyuuga's eyes she would probably have to face a trial and until that trail be put in a cell. It wouldn't matter if she did it to protect her kids. The Hyuuga clan was too damned powerful and they would demand blood. Okay. So she would aim for less vital areas.

"Thanks," Tenten said.

Hiashi nodded. He gave Hatomi a final look before bowing to Neji. Neji inclined his head but kept the frown on his face.

"I will take my leave now," Hiashi said.

Tenten didn't move which forced him to walk around her. He left without another word. Hanabi sighed.

"Stupid clan rules. I'll try too, niisan, don't you worry," Hanabi said.

"Thank you," Neji said.

She nodded to him and followed her father out. Tenten turned when the living room doors slipped open and her friends began piling into the living room. Naruto was holding Boruto under an arm while the little blond sniffled.

Metal stood between his parents, both arms raised and hands being held by them. Sakura carried Sarada, Choji held Chocho, Sai held Inojin, and Temari held Shikadai.

"Uh, so?" Kiba asked.

"The Elders will be informed," Hinata said. "But father and neesan will try their best to hold back the clan. Neji-niisan and Tenten-neechan no longer have Orochimaru as a threat."

"Well crap," Kiba muttered.

"But I've got traps and sharp pointy objects. No one is getting to my kids," Tenten said.

"If I must keep my Byakugan activated every night then I will," Neji said.

Naruto huffed.

"Man, if I was hokage all ready I could force the Hyuuga to abolish the curse seal," Naruto said.

"It will not be so simple," Shino said.

Tenten frowned as did everyone else.

"You are talking about changing the ancient customs of the largest, richest, and most powerful clan in Konoha. If you insult them they might revolt which would be worse than any potential revolt the Uchiha had planned," Shino said.

"Not necessarily," Hinata said. "Half of the Main House wants to be rid of the curse seal, especially the younger generation. The entire Branch House would be happy to see it gone as well."

"Yeah but those half from the Main House can _force_ the Branch to fight or kill them if they don't," Shikamaru said.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Troublesome, but I'll see what I can dig up and work out," Shikamaru said. "Think of it as my birthday present to those two since Temari bought our present."

Tenten grinned and saw Neji relax.

"Thank you," Neji said.

Shikamaru shrugged. Everyone began to filter out then as the party had been effectively ruined by Hyuuga clan politics. Neji put Hatomi down for a nap and Tenten allowed Hizashi out of his time out corner. She put him down for a nap and made sure the traps on their window were set.

She joined Neji in cleaning up their patio and yard, noticing he had not deactivated Byakugan. When they had finished cleaning, they woke up their twins. Hizashi was happy to play with his toys but Hatomi didn't want Neji to put her down.

Somehow, someway, on some innate level, Hatomi _knew_. Tenten hated it but there was nothing she could do but try to protect her daughter. Tenten let the swell of motherly protective instincts wash over her. _No one_ would hurt her kids. _No one._

* * *

Go momma Tenten. And no, I have no idea where I'm going with this or when Neji and Tenten will go back to the kinky sex. I'm oddly fine with how this is turning out. :)

As always: reviews welcome.


	12. Instincts

**Instincts**

 **Author's note:** *sings* I have no idea where I'm going with this! *stops singing* But I'm having way too much fun with it. :)

So, funny story. I had no idea one of Kakashi's ninken is named "Akino." Why is this funny? Because one of my Original Characters in "Life, Love, and Genin," who happens to be a main character because he's Neji's genin, is named Akino. Yep.

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji _lives_. They're in their 20s in this more plot less kinky sex story.

Again: chapter a day time till the 31st of October since I'll be going back to original fiction and all my spare time will be dedicated to NaNoWriMo. Don't worry, I will end this beast. *grins*

* * *

Tenten ran a hand through her bangs to push them back to her right temple. The July heat was killer today and their air conditioner was on the fritz. Someone from the company was fixing it free of charge but it would take a couple of hours. So here they sat in the play ground close to home in a sad attempt to get cool.

Hizashi didn't seem to care it was so hot. He ran around the park with laughter ringing out bright as he moved. He could jump over little obstacles in his way as he moved and knew enough to kick a ball if someone threw one to him. He also carried around a single red block everywhere he went. It was his security blanket of sorts.

He could take off his shoes and had started climbing on whatever he could to get higher. Tenten had found him on top of the counter yesterday as she had been looking for Hatomi's other shoe. Neji had been finishing getting dressed. They had both almost had heart attacks upon seeing where Hizashi had climbed to.

Tenten watched Hizashi run around with kids easily three or more months older. She sat at the edge of the sandy playground on the tiny wooded upraised area. Other mothers sat on the benches but Tenten was not any mother.

She glanced over to Neji who was lightly pushing Hatomi on the toddler swings. Her smile was wide as she giggled, pumping her legs to swing higher and higher at Neji's discretion. Her pink sundress was almost invisible because of the supports of the swing. Tenten could see the tiny sleeves, the white socks with frills on the top and Hatomi's pink shoes.

Neji had tied Hatomi's hair into side pigtails, finishing them with pink bows. The ends of her high pigtailed hair could touch her earlobes it was so long but she had been born with lots of hair. So had Hizashi. Hell, she wanted to trim his hair it was so long but Neji had glared at her in a menacing way.

Tenten saw Hizashi go down, face planting in the sand but he lifted his head out of the sand and shook his head. Hizashi pushed his body upwards so he was on his hands and feet with his butt in the air, before standing up fully. He took off running again.

He wore blue shorts and a white boy's tank top. Tenten had tried to put his hair into a pony tail but he had whined and fidgeted too much even for her quick fingers. Tenten smiled as he tripped again but put out his hands to stop his fall and kept his face from plopping into the sand. It put him in a downward dog yoga position which he stayed in for a minute.

"You're so lucky he's so sturdy,"

Tenten glanced to the woman beside her: civilian, brown hair cut into a short style, honey colored eyes, dressed in a white knee length skirt, and a white tank top. She sat near Tenten on the same piece of wood keeping the sand in place.

"Yeah," Tenten said.

"My little Hiromochi isn't," she said.

She pointed towards a little boy in green shorts and a green tank top with bandages all over his legs and palms. As Tenten watched, the little boy randomly fell over even though he had been walking. Tenten winced.

"Ouch," Tenten said.

The woman nodded at her and watched Hizashi running around the sand box. Tenten watched her son as well. Hizashi didn't really look like her from this distance. He looked more like Neji minus the nose and cheek bones. Hatomi didn't even look like her but looked like a girl version of her father. Tenten wouldn't tell Neji that yet.

"How old is he?" the woman asked.

"Fifteen months," Tenten replied.

"Really? Wow, he seems closer to two years," the woman said.

"Yeah," Tenten remarked.

She kept her eyes on Hizashi as he kept running around the park, chasing older kids, kicking the balls other kids threw at him, and generally running as fast as he could. He liked to run, even around the house. She peered at Neji who kept pushing Hatomi on the swings.

Hatomi _could_ run when prompted but she preferred walking with her hand either clutching Neji's pants or his hand. She rarely left Neji's side except for sleeping. Even after three months, their little girl was paranoid. Hatomi jumped, eyes widening in fear, anytime the front door opened. When the person coming in was Hiashi or Hanabi, Hatomi hid behind her father with a whimper.

Tenten hated her little girl knew the issues, if innately. The Elders were locked in an argument with Hiashi, Hanabi, Kakashi, Naruto, and Tsunade. Nothing had happened yet but Tenten always had more than enough weapons in her scroll bracelets to protect her children.

"You must be a kunoichi," the woman said.

"Yeah I am," Tenten said.

The woman giggled. Tenten didn't take her eyes off Hizashi. His block was in his hand as he ran. If he started to fall he would drop the block till he caught himself then pick it back up again before running.

"I can tell by the way you watch him," the woman said. "Well your son and the handsome long haired young man pushing the little girl on the swings."

Tenten peeked at Neji who had a smile on his face as he pushed his princess. He had left his hair out but it was bound back by the bandana he wore to cover the curse seal. The light breeze blew his hair to his left softly. Neji didn't seem to mind and Tenten didn't mind staring at his bare legs as even Neji had decided to wear shorts in dark gray and a muscle shirt, fitted, in white.

Hell she wore shorts small enough they almost didn't cover her butt completely. They were black in color and she wore a top with no sleeves in white. The shirt was a crop top which exposed a good expanse of her abs. Tenten didn't care if the other mothers looked at her with glowers. It was hot out and she was proud of the body she had worked hard to get.

"Well, that and you don't have a mother's body. I mean, you're toned where other mothers, well, not so much," the woman said.

Tenten didn't say anything to the woman. The hairs at the back of her neck had stuck up on end and her heart rate had increased marginally. Her instincts screamed "danger" but Tenten could see nothing wrong with the scene around her.

She did notice Neji's smile had lowered a bit. He sensed something to. Tenten decided it was time for Hizashi to go on the swings beside his sister. She stood, brushing off the back of her shorts as she went and headed towards her son who was six yards away.

Too much happened at once.

Smoke filled the park area, people wearing all black with black masks concealing their entire faces jumped over the fences around the park, civilians screamed, children cried, and Neji let out a yell Tenten had heard _once_ in her life.

His curse seal had been activated.

Tenten leaped into the air and spotted her son standing in the middle of the chaos with wide eyes, a dropped jaw, and his hands at his side. He had dropped his block in shock. Tenten made out black shadows moving towards her son and unravelled a bracelet.

The cool metal of kunai did not last long in her hands as she threw all six towards the moving shadows heading towards her son. All four shadows went down but Tenten knew they were stun strikes, not killing. If the four didn't get the antidote for the poison on her kunai in six hours it would be a different story.

Tenten landed beside Hizashi and lifted him into one arm as she leaped again. Neji still screamed but by now, so was Hatomi. The smoke started to clear but the swings were out of the smoke all ready. Tenten saw one of the people in all black had grabbed Hatomi and was running away with her.

Senbon weren't as cool in her hand since they were so slender but they didn't last long in her grasp either. The thin needles struck her intended targets: the back of both of the running man's knees and his right bicep. His right arm was the one he had grabbed Hatomi in and now she was free from his grasp as the man's arm fell numbed to his side from her numbing agent. His legs collapsed under him as he dropped Hatomi.

Hatomi landed on her butt but instead of sitting and crying as she typically did from a fall, she got to her feet as Tenten landed. Tenten saw her daughter's Byakugan had activated but Hatomi did not run to her mother, no, the little girl ran back to Neji who had curled up in a fetal position, panting, as he held his head. At least he had stopped screaming.

Tenten ran towards her fallen husband, the distance was perhaps ten yards but she would be too slow. Four more people in all black were heading towards Neji and Hatomi but they were closer, much closer. Tenten sensed people behind her and glanced over her shoulder to see three others coming at her.

Tenten spun on her heel and flung out more senbon, these ones coated in more numbing agent. All three senbon hit the right knee of all three shadows behind her and they all face planted when their right legs gave out under them. Tenten smirked as she spun on her other heel to see the other four shadows were closing in.

The man she had brutally numbed had managed to reach out and grab Hatomi by her ankle in his left hand. He held her close, stopping her from getting to Neji. Tenten summoned more numbing senbon in her hand but another smoke bomb went off and suddenly she was blinded. Tenten scowled.

She heard Hatomi scream and kept running blind towards the sound. She saw shifting shadows up ahead but couldn't throw senbon. What if one of those shadows was Neji getting their daughter back safely and she stopped _him_?

If only she kept Bashosen on her. Then she could use the Coil of Wind to get rid of all this smoke. She didn't have Bashosen so did the next best thing. Tenten tucked Hizashi as close as she could to her chest in one hand before spinning as if she was doing her Twin Rising Dragon.

Hizashi yelled as loud as he could but Tenten ignored her son as she leaped into the air. The smoke followed her and she could _see_. One of the people coming from the fence had grabbed Hatomi and started to run away but Neji had grabbed the man's ankle in one hand. Tenten watched as chakra flared through Neji's hand to flow into the man's ankle and _up_ the man's leg, up his buttocks, over his back and to his head.

Tenten had never seen such a move. She ignored it for now and launched her senbon towards the three other shadows. They had started to retreat but she never missed. All three senbon hit the lower backs of the three shadows and they fell since their legs had been essentially cut off but without all the blood.

It had finished in less a minute. Tenten landed two yards away from her husband. The man who had grabbed Hatomi second had fallen. Hatomi had gotten out from under him and as Tenten watched, Neji pulled her into his arms and curled into a fetal position.

"Neji," Tenten said.

She felt warmth along her arm and saw briefly Hizashi had thrown up from the spin. He was crying too so Tenten tugged him close to her chest and rubbed his back as she knelt at Neji's back.

"Neji,"

He did nothing but shiver with Hatomi in his arms. It wasn't a _good_ shuddering either, Tenten knew those ones. No, Neji's body trembled involuntarily as he kept his eyes wide and a powerful grip on Hatomi who curled into his chest, crying. Tenten brushed some of Neji's hair out of his face and spotted _blood_ in Neji's ear.

Fuck no.

"Help! Someone! I need a medic!"

There was _no one_ in the park. All the other parents and children had cleared out during the attack. Tenten would never blame them in this but now she was alone with her two terrified children and her shaking husband whose curse seal had caused something in his _brain_ to start bleeding.

Tenten did the only thing she could. She pulled a flare gun out of the scroll on her left wrist and shot a red _emergency_ flare into the air. Hizashi wailed at the noise of the gun and Hatomi kept sobbing. Neji hadn't stopped shuddering and there was foam around his lips. Tenten placed a hand on his back but she never had an affinity for medical jutsu.

Oh how she wished she did.

She didn't even care the people who had attacked her family were trying to escape. The three with their right legs out managed on their own but four were down completely because they essentially had no legs. Neji had taken down one while the ones with poisoned kunai in their backs were starting to run off. Those four were grabbing the legless ones but they left the one Neji had taken down. Tenten didn't even watch them go.

"Tenten,"

Tenten looked up to see Sakura and Ino running towards her. Naruto, Kiba on Akamaru, and Lee were not far behind, thank Kami. Tenten blinked away her tears as Sakura went to her knees in front of Neji.

"The curse seal," Tenten got out.

Sakura nodded, placing both hands on Neji's head. Green healing chakra lit Sakura's hands a moment later and Tenten let out a breath of relief. She hugged Hizashi close, rubbing his back and kissing his head over and over. Ino tried to pry Hatomi out of Neji's arms but Sakura shook her head at the blond. Hatomi wouldn't budge and Neji wouldn't let her not unless he died and even then his grip would be strong.

Other shinobi were entering the park area now: Genma, Anko, Ibiki, Konohamaru, Ebisu, Hana, Tsume, Choji, and a dozen ANBU. Everyone came over but left ample space around the scene. Ibiki did come close enough to kneel down to the one attacker Neji had taken down. Tenten watched as the black mask came off.

Tenten felt her heart skip a beat. White eyes stared unseeing ahead while the same dark brown hair sprouting from Neji's head fell around a pale face with the same features of Neji, of the Hyuuga clan. Tenten's mind brought up a clearer imaged of the dozen masked shadows and showed her none of the masks had eye holes.

They Hyuuga Clan had attacked her family.

No wonder there had been smoke bombs in use. They wouldn't _need_ to have their eyes uncovered to see. At least Tenten hadn't gouged out anyone's eyes.

"There are four of them I poisoned with kunai. If they don't get an antidote in six hours they'll be as dead as this guy," Tenten said.

"Ah, what poison?" Ino questioned.

Tenten shook her head but pulled the antidote out of her scroll before handing it to Ino.

"The antidote, twenty millilitres should do it," Tenten said. "You'll know who else attacked because they won't be able to move their right legs or legs in general for the next seventy-two hours. There were twelve of them including this guy. Three will have the right leg out of commission, three will have both legs out, four will be poisoned, and one will have both legs and his left arm numb."

Ino nodded. She took off with Kiba, Lee, and five ANBU. Tenten couldn't stop staring at the dead Hyuuga in front of her. She had no idea who he was but Ibiki had a scowl on his face.

"Hyuuga Neho, one of the Branch House," Ibiki said.

Tenten blinked. It didn't make sense for the Branch House to attack Neji...

"Why would Branch attack Neji?" Choji asked.

"Because the Main House probably promised him something major in return, like, oh I don't know, marrying whoever he wants," Ibiki said. "He's had a crush on one of the girls in Torture for years."

Tenten felt her heart drop. Neji had _killed_ a fellow Branch House Member who had wanted nothing more than what Neji all ready had. Tenten let out a breath to stop her tears from flowing. She stiffened when Sakura pulled back her hands.

Sweat had gathered along Sakura's brow and she looked exhausted. Tenten stared at her husband who breathed deeply, evenly, and had his eyes half closed. He had stopped trembling but he hadn't stopped holding Hatomi close and stroking her dark hair and back to try and calm her.

"What did you hit him with?" Ibiki asked.

"Nothing. Neji grabbed his ankle and sent this weird chakra flare through his entire body," Tenten said.

"Weird how?" Anko asked.

The ANBU had taken off as had Hana and Tsume likely to inform who needed to be informed everything was, well, settled. Not okay but at least the emergency was over.

"It flowed out of Neji's hand like normal but instead of just bursting out over one point like when he cuts off a tenketsu, it flowed up the, Neho's leg, along his spine, before centering at the back of his head," Tenten explained.

She hadn't taken into consideration Neji could hear her voice now. Sakura kept him down when Neji tried to sit up.

"Neho? Neho tried to take Hatomi?" Neji got out.

"Yeah," Ibiki said.

Neji paled but relaxed under Sakura's grip, closing his eyes. Tenten saw Neji's eyes had gone damp right before he closed them.

"We used to play together as children," Neji said. "His birthday was two months before mine."

And Neji had killed him, not knowing who he was as Neji had not been able to concentrate around the pain of the curse seal. Tenten let out a breath and put her hand on Neji's back. Hizashi had calmed down but his fists had clenched hard in her shirt. He had lost his block somewhere in the park but Tenten would get him interested in a new one.

Hatomi had stopped crying as well but she wasn't going to be coming out of Neji's arms anytime soon. Tenten wouldn't blame her daughter. Hell, _both_ her kids were going to be sleeping in the same bed as her and Neji tonight.

"What did you do exactly?" Sakura asked Neji.

Neji's eyes opened and he looked up at Sakura. His eyebrows crinkled as he thought about how to best explain what he had done. Tenten had no idea how to explain it either. She had trained with him the longest and the closest thing she could relate to it was the Palm Bottom.

"I sent chakra through his system in a similar way to the Palm Bottom but could not concentrate my charka as I normally do because of the pain. I felt it, ah, expand and saw it travel up but Hatomi," Neji said.

He looked down at her as she clung to him. Neji let out a breath and kissed the top of her head, drawing his legs up to encircle her in his entire body. Tenten shifted so her knees were against his back and she could run her hand up and down his arm. Neji's eyes shifted to hers and she gave him a little smile.

"Well one of them had to be Main House to activate Neji's curse seal," Ibiki said.

"Wouldn't it have affected _all_ Branch Members though?" Choji questioned.

Tenten noticed it was down to her family, Sakura, Ibiki, Choji, and Genma. Everyone else had left to either go to the Hyuuga Compound with Ino or inform Kakashi and others about what the emergency had been. Neji let out a breath.

"No. One Main House member can only affect one Branch House member at a time even in a room full of Branch House members. They have to be looking at the Branch House member directly, even at a distance," Neji said.

They all jumped when Kakashi appeared a yard behind Sakura. Tenten toned out Ibiki as he explained to Kakashi what had happened.

"His brain was fried, nerve endings snapped, tons of bleeding spots, and he might have died if I wasn't on my way here with Ino and Sai when I saw the flare go off. Sai has Inojin and Sarada," Sakura said.

Neji might have _died_. It meant he had worked through the pain of an active curse seal to save his daughter. No way a few seconds would have caused that much damage.

"It's consistent with the curse seal being active for a minute or more. Someone had the curse seal active on Neji during the entire attack which meant he made a chakra flare strong enough to kill a man while his curse seal was activated," Sakura went on.

Tenten looked at her husband who had half-opened his eyes again. His eyes were focused on Hatomi. The other person he looked at was Tenten. Tenten couldn't get a smile on her face even if it meant comforting him. There was nothing to smile about.

"Do we know what other Hyuuga attacked?" Kakashi asked.

"No but Tenten left obvious signs: four poisoned, seven unable to move properly," Ibiki said.

"Good," Kakashi said. "Once those eleven can move properly or aren't under threat of dying, you can question them Ibiki to see _who_ put them up to this. I know it's the Elders but we need a formal confession. There are about thirty Main House Hyuuga who want Hatomi and Hizashi branded with the curse seal, including those Elders. I know those Main House members will tempt the Branch House with wild dreams so we've got another thirty potential attackers from the Branch House who are over the age of twelve."

Tenten repressed a shudder and gritted her teeth. She wanted to go to the Hyuuga clan right now and paralyse those thirty Main House members then smack the thirty Branch House members for being so damn tempted by whatever the Main House promised them.

"Neji, Tenten, I'm going to put ANBU guards around your property, four of them, one on each fence with night vision goggles and binoculars. They'll be switched out every twelve hours with a second group of four and not move from their post until their replacement comes. The replacements will have a password only those eight ANBU I assign to guard will know.

"The four ANBU will follow you if you guys need to leave the house. Pakkun and Akino will be living with you two as well. I'll provide food so you guys don't have to worry about it. You know both of them can speak so they'll be able to tell someone's coming and help defend."

Tenten knew Kakashi didn't mean to insult them with the high guard but four ANBU and two ninken was insulting. Then again, this was for Hatomi and Hizashi's safety. If she could safely ask for Kakashi's whole pack, she would.

"Agreed," Tenten said.

"Agreed," Neji muttered.

Kakashi nodded. He bit his thumb and Pakkun appeared on the ground beside Akino, the medium sized, tan furred dog who wore sunglasses. Tenten didn't want to know _why_ a dog would need sunglasses but decided it best not to ask. Kakashi explained to his two dogs what was going on as Sakura helped Neji to a sitting up position.

"For now, Ibiki, Sakura, and Choji will get you guys back home," Kakashi said.

"We'll meet up with Sai on the way and have a play date," Sakura said.

Tenten nodded. It would distract the twins at least. Tenten got to her feet and helped Neji to his as she stood. He swayed in place but Sakura was there a moment later to put a hand on his back with Tenten's hand. Ibiki grabbed the bag Neji had left by the swing as Kakashi disappeared again, this time with Neho's body. Pakkun took the lead while Akino took the rear.

Tenten sighed but said nothing as Ibiki strode with Akino and Choji walked along beside her. Sai had caught up to them by this time, holding his son in one arm and a teary Sarada in another. Tenten kept her eyes on Neji's as Sakura explained the situation. She wanted this mess to be over.

* * *

The sounds of crickets in the night and the light snores of Hizashi were all she could hear. Hatomi breathed deeply, evenly, curled up in Neji's arms. Neji lay on his left side, facing Tenten, with Hatomi in front of him. Hizashi lay beside his sister while Tenten lay behind her son. Pakkun was on the pillow behind Neji's head while Akino had taken the foot of the bed, remarking in awe how comfortable it was.

Both ninken were fast asleep as were the twins. Tenten had been looking into Neji's white eyes for the past hour as she gently stroked Hizashi's hair. They had heard nothing about the Hyuuga Clan. Sakura and Sai had left with Sarada and Inojin at six in the evening. Tenten had followed them out to see an ANBU operative with a hawk mask sitting on the cement fence near the wooden gate at the front of her property.

The ANBU had watched Sai and Sakura leave with Tenten then gave Tenten a short nod. She didn't tell Neji about him but she had seen the veins around his eyes disappearing as she walked towards the couch. She hadn't mentioned it.

Neji kept playing with the tips of Hatomi's hair or stroking her hair softly. She kept her hands gripped tight on the light shirt he wore, her little body pressed so hard against her father she might leave a dent. Neji's other arm spread across Hatomi's back, hidden by Hizashi's front. Hizashi's back was against Tenten's chest and she had wrapped her other hand around his waist, the back of her palm against Neji's and caught between their children.

"What do you think is going on?" Tenten asked lightly.

"I do not know," Neji replied as quietly.

"They won't stop till Hiashi forces them to, somehow. I don't even know if he can,"

"I have no idea either but I am glad to have the support we do,"

"Yeah, me too,"

Tenten smiled lightly. He returned the gesture. Tenten let out a little breath but didn't move her eyes from Neji's. He had half closed his but the moonlight from their window made them bright silver.

They had decided to sleep with the curtains open so Neji could see if anyone stood outside their window. His back faced the door of the room but Tenten could see the door. Plus she had set up a trip wire across the bottom of it which would make a few dozen senbon pop out of the door frame top and both sides.

Tenten had a feeling she wouldn't be sleeping much tonight. The events at the park kept rolling through her head. Tenten knew if she had taken her friends' advice and _stopped_ carrying weapons around with her then both her children would have been kidnapped. Worse was hearing Neji's scream and knowing he had almost died (a second time) because of his clan.

"They went after Hizashi too," Tenten said.

"They did?"

"Yeah, it's why it took me some time to get to you and Hatomi. Four of them, _four of them_ went after one fifteen month old little boy,"

"They sent at least thirteen after us,"

"Thirteen?"

"Someone had to have my curse seal activated while the others attacked,"

Tenten hadn't even thought of that. She sighed and shook her head. In a way she was sort of proud the Elders had sent thirteen Hyuuga after her family. It meant they were really kick ass and posed a threat.

"I feel bad," Neji admitted softly.

"About killing Neho?"

"Yes. All he wanted was the ability to date and marry who he wanted, like me. The Elders teased him with that, telling him all he had to do was bring the twins to the Compound and I ended up killing him,"

Neji frowned. Tenten stopped petting Hizashi for a moment to run her hand over Neji's hair. He closed his eyes happily and Tenten smiled. After a few moments Neji re-opened his eyes and met hers.

"I will not be able to sleep tonight," Neji said.

"Me neither,"

"Hn,"

Tenten smiled at him and they said no more. Neji kept his eyes half open through the night as their kids moved in sleep. Hatomi never went far, either burrowing deeper into Neji or moving her hands to clutch some other part of him. Hizashi ended with his feet on Tenten's chin and face up.

Tenten watched the silver go out of Neji's eyes as the sun came up: red first which faded to pale orange and finally a soft yellow color. Neji blinked. Tenten blew over Hizashi's bare feet and he giggled as he woke up. Soft golden eyes tinted a deeper shade of gold in the sunlight as Hizashi looked at her with a grin. Hatomi whined when Neji nudged her.

"Wake up, Princess," Neji said softly.

Tenten grinned as Hatomi lifted her head from Neji's chest and looked up at him with pale amber eyes. Hizashi was all ready on his feet, crawling over Tenten to jump on the bed. Tenten rolled over then pulled him into her arms as she lay on her back. Hizashi giggled as she kissed his cheeks, forehead, and nose.

"Did you all sleep well?" Pakkun asked from behind Neji's head.

"Yes," Neji lied easily.

"Yeah," Tenten said.

Pakkun hummed but jumped off the bed. Neji rolled onto his back then sat up. Hatomi stayed in his lap, clenching his shirt, and keeping the side of her face against Neji's chest.

"Come on Princess, let us go get you changed then eat breakfast," Neji said.

She nodded. Tenten smiled at him as he elegantly got out of bed. Tenten rolled off the bed with Hizashi in her arms and he laughed as she carried him to the nursery. Of course he had to be a little brat and hang out of her arms, legs and hands pointing towards the ground. She didn't mind that much and soon lost herself in changing his diaper, getting him dressed in black shorts and a light blue tee shirt, and brushing his messy hair.

A few strokes of the brush and his hair fell neatly to skim along his earlobes. She pushed bangs out of his face and smiled at him. Hizashi beamed up at her. Tenten let him get to his feet and he took off towards the kitchen. She glanced over to Neji who had put Hatomi in a pale purple sun dress. He was currently putting a purple headband in her hair.

"Hey kid, you shouldn't be climbing like that,"

Akino's voice. Tenten was in the kitchen a moment later to see Hizashi had pushed a chair towards the counter and had started to climb it. Akino had taken the back of Hizashi's shorts into his mouth to keep Hizashi from climbing. Tenten wanted to laugh because Hizashi looked over his shoulder at the ninken with the most confused look on his face.

"He's right, Hizashi, no climbing," Tenten said.

Hizashi pouted as Tenten picked him up off the chair and set him on the floor. She pushed the chair back in place as Hizashi looked up at her, watching as she started on breakfast. She got the rice going and pulled out the leftover miso soup from the fridge. She cut up fresh strawberries, cheese, and celery. Tenten had put the tuna on to grill when Neji walked into the kitchen.

He had changed his clothes and washed his face. He still looked exhausted. He took over for her at the stove while she picked up Hizashi and brought him back into the bedroom. She changed quickly, brushed out her hair before tying it in her simple buns then washed her face.

Neji had set the table and gotten Hatomi into her high chair. The food was done too and Tenten smiled before putting Hizashi into his high chair. Both had a plate of strawberries, cheese, celery, some fish, and some rice. Milk was in their sippy cups and they had some cereal on their plates. Hell, Neji had even put down two bowls filled with the dog food they had found on their porch last night.

"Itadakimasu,"

Tenten smiled as Hizashi and Hatomi tried to say the word but both came out garbled. She began to eat and watch her twins. Hizashi made a mess with his food. He either put too much in his mouth or missed his mouth entirely. Today he decided to stack his cheese into a tower and knock it down with a piece of celery while he shoved rice and cereal into his mouth with his other hand.

Hatomi ate like the Princess Neji called her. At the moment she delicately nibbled on a piece of cheese. Tenten chuckled as Hatomi ate primly, like her father while Hizashi shoved food in his mouth, kind of like her when she had been younger. The meal passed quietly and soon Tenten helped Neji with the dishes as their kids played in the living room.

Hatomi hummed as she played with the shinobi village play-set. Hatomi liked setting up ranks of shinobi to fight each other or to "train." Sometimes the shinobi would go on missions or have parties. Hizashi was building with his blocks as typical. Pakkun lay out near Hatomi while Akino took up a position in a spot of sun by the living room sliding doors.

Tenten settled beside Hizashi once the dishes were back in the cupboards and saw today he worked on making a replica of the Academy. Tenten ran her hand over his hair and he smiled at her happily. She looked to Neji who sat beside Hatomi with a little smile.

Hatomi had arranged her shinobi on guard duty around one particular house. Some were balanced on roofs, others hiding behind bushes, but at least a dozen hovered around the one home. Others were in the streets around the home and Tenten stared.

"What are your shinobi doing today, Princess?" Neji asked.

"Protecting the princess," Hatomi replied.

Tenten let out a breath. Neji frowned. Hatomi kept moving shinobi through the streets in a patrol.

"Why do they need to protect the princess?" Neji questioned softly.

"Bad people want take her," Hatomi answered.

Neji ran a hand over Hatomi's loose hair. Tenten wished their daughter didn't know so much.

"They are protecting you?" Neji enquired.

Hatomi nodded but didn't look up at her father. Tenten saw Hizashi had stopped playing with his blocks and looked at his sister with a little frown.

"Me and Hiz," Hatomi answered.

She couldn't _quite_ get her brother's name right. Hizashi called Hatomi "Omi" most of the time.

"Do you know why the bad people are after you?" Neji asked.

She shook her head. Hizashi shifted so he leaned against Tenten's legs, watching his father with wide amber eyes. Tenten placed a hand on his back and he clenched his little fingers in her loose shorts.

"Your family name is Hyuuga and the Hyuuga are the biggest, most power clan in the Village," Neji said.

Hatomi stopped moving her shinobi around to stare at her father with wide eyes and slightly parted lips. Neji gave her a small smile. Tenten could tell it was a sad smile but their kids were too young to tell the same.

"The Hyuuga all have eyes like mine, yours and your brother's though for you two you took on a bit of your mother's beautiful eyes as well," Neji said.

This made Pakkun snicker. Tenten felt the heat rise to her cheeks as Hatomi giggled and Hizashi smiled. Neji let out a breath, gathering his thoughts. Both children knew to wait. Tenten always thought it was funny they knew Neji took a while to get his thoughts in order sometimes.

"The Hyuuga are broken up into two parts: the Main House and the Branch House. The Main House are considered the elite, ah, the better of the two while the Branch House protects and serves the Main House. Do you understand?" Neji questioned.

Hatomi's little forehead crinkled as she thought about it. Hizashi blinked. Hatomi picked up two shinobi from her play set. One was the Hokage figure (Tsunade in this particular set) while the other was a jonin.

"Jonin serve Hokage," Hatomi said.

Neji hummed.

"Similar yes," Neji said.

Tenten saw Pakkun's eyes widen and his jaw drop a bit, stunned. Tenten kept her mouth shut on how brilliant her children were.

"But the Branch House does not enjoy serving the Main House as Branch Members are not treated well by the Main House," Neji said.

Hatomi frowned. She crawled into Neji's lap and put her hands onto his chest. Hatomi's pale gold pupil-less eyes focused on Neji's white ones.

"You Branch or Main?" Hatomi questioned.

Neji sighed heavily. Hatomi watched as Neji reached up and took off the bandana he wore. Tenten didn't stop Hizashi as her little boy made his way over to his father to look at Neji's exposed curse seal.

"This marks me as Branch," Neji said. "There are certain people in the Main House who want to put this same marking on the two of you."

Hatomi got up onto her father's thigh and lightly ran her petite fingers over his curse seal.

"Daddy yell at park," Hatomi said.

Neji inclined his head.

"This is how the Main House controls the Branch House," Neji said. "It is painful when activated, painful when placed, and I do not want you two to go through the same pain I have faced."

Tenten swallowed down her tears. Hatomi had a frown on her face as she traced the lines on Neji's forehead. Hizashi sat on Neji's other knee with a pout. She saw Pakkun with a frown on his face. Akino had come over to sit near her and she put a hand on his head. He smiled and let her pet him.

"Why control?" Hatomi asked.

Neji sighed.

"To protect our special eyes, so they say. You changed your sight, yes?"

Hatomi nodded. Neji placed a hand on her lower back to keep her steady as she kept one hand on his forehead, eyes locked on his.

"Only Hyuuga can do this and other people have wanted to take it away from us. It is called a dojutsu, a kekkei genkai exclusive to eyes. The Hyuuga's is the Byakugan, or the "All seeing white eye." We are the only clan left with a powerful dojutsu," Neji explained.

"Why?" Hizashi questioned.

Hatomi nodded at her brother's question. Neji smiled.

"The Uchiha clan was known for the Sharingan. The Rinnegan is the third dojutsu known to shinobi but it is difficult to manifest and does not come from a single clan. The Uchiha clan are down to two now: your friend Sarada and her father Sasuke. The others, well, it is complicated and we will get to that story when you are older," Neji said.

Hatomi pouted at him but Neji chuckled and kissed her forehead. Tenten giggled when Hatomi hugged her father around the neck and he held her close. Hizashi crawled off his father and back to his blocks. Tenten watched as Hizashi started building again. Hatomi got off her father and began to play with her shinobi village.

A few minutes after ten, Tenten and Neji took their kids outside. Immediately Hizashi ran around the grass, kicking around the scattered balls and chasing them down. Hatomi went to the sand box and began to build a castle. Tenten tried not to look at the ANBU operative sitting on their fence wearing a boar mask but this proved to be difficult.

Lunch came and went then more play-time outside. The twins went down for their nap at three while Neji and Tenten lay out on the couch together. Akino had gone into the nursery with the twins while Pakkun jumped up on the flat part of the couch to watch her and Neji.

"You two didn't get a wink of sleep last night," Pakkun mentioned.

"Hn," Neji muttered.

"Do you blame us?" Tenten asked.

Pakkun shook his head. Tenten sighed and closed her eyes. Neji had lay on top of her, his head resting on her stomach so she could pet his hair. She knew she shouldn't close her eyes as the chances were high she would fall asleep but she couldn't help it.

A wet nose hit her cheek what felt like seconds later and Tenten blinked at an extreme close up of Pakkun's amused face. Tenten rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked to see Neji had fallen asleep on her stomach. She spotted Hizashi pushing his sister around the room on a rolling horse. Hatomi had donned some dress up clothes: a fake tiara, elbow length gloves, and fake jewels. She held a jeweled staff in one hand and gave a royal wave as Hizashi pushed the horse.

Tenten bit her lip to keep from laughing then nudged Neji. He woke with a little snort and raised an eyebrow at her. She pointed. He followed her finger then coughed to stop from laughing as Hizashi and Hatomi started to disappear around the couch.

"This is what you get for calling her Princess," Pakkun said.

"Like he cares," Tenten said.

"She's going to be a heart breaker," Akino said.

Tenten looked to the other dog and burst out laughing. Akino wore a pink feather boa around his neck, a lopsided crown on his head, and had a pink dress up skirt wrapped around his middle. He looked completely comfortable.

"How did we sleep through this?" Neji questioned.

"Hey, you two were tired," Pakkun said.

"Hn," Neji mumbled.

"What time is it?" Tenten asked.

"Food time," Hizashi said from somewhere behind the couch.

Tenten snorted. Neji chuckled but rolled off the couch and onto his feet in one smooth motion. He lifted his arms above his head and Tenten heard his back cracking. Neji shook himself then strode to the kitchen. He stopped when someone knocked at the door. Tenten had a kunai in her hand in the same moment Neji's Byakugan activated.

"It's Kakashi," Pakkun said.

Tenten put her kunai away while Neji went to the door, the veins around his face disappearing.

"With food," Akino added.

"Food!"

Hizashi bolted around the couch and to the door as Neji opened it. Tenten glanced over the couch to see Hatomi pouting. Tenten winked at her daughter who primly got off the horse while Kakashi came into the home with bags of take out.

The Hokage stopped and stared at Akino for a few moments with his head tilted to one side. Neji shut and locked the door then scooped up Hizashi who kept singing "food, food, food," over and over by Kakashi's legs.

"Akino, why are you dressed up?" Kakashi questioned.

One eye twitched.

"Ask the Princess," Akino said, gesturing towards Hatomi.

"Now he pretty," Hatomi said without missing a beat.

Kakashi deadpanned. Tenten got off the couch as Hatomi carefully took off her princess garb. Kakashi watched the little girl, eyes wide and eyebrows up. Tenten knew her little girl (and boy) shouldn't be as dexterous as they were. But they came from a line of shinobi who trained their kids the moment they could walk. Moving their bodies in complex ways were likely instinctual.

"Anyway, I've got chicken fried rice, herring soba, sesame dumplings, steamed vegetables, fried egg, and dango," Kakashi said.

"Food?" Hizashi asked.

"Yes, food," Neji said.

Hizashi was in his high chair, bib in place, with a plate in front of him and his sippy cup to one side. Kakashi put the bags down in the middle of the table while Tenten picked up Hatomi and placed her in her high chair beside Neji.

Neji put out plates as Kakashi took out containers. Tenten fed both dogs (Akino refused to take off the princess gear) while Neji moved on to getting some food onto Hatomi and Hizashi's plates. Tenten cut up some peaches for her kids before sitting at the table and starting to put food on her plate.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sama," Neji said.

Tenten tried not to laugh when Neji looked at both his children and raised an eyebrow.

"Thank you Kak-a-shi-sama," Hatomi said, stumbling over Kakashi's name.

Kakashi beamed anyway.

"Fank ou Kashi-sama," Hizashi said through a mouthful of rice.

Kakashi stared at Hizashi with a blank expression on his face. Hizashi didn't seem to care and went about chewing his rice as he turned his portion of fried egg into more manageable pieces with his hands.

"Yeah, thanks Kakashi-sama," Tenten said.

Kakashi was busy looking between the messy Hizashi and Hatomi who delicately put a small amount of food between her lips using her index finger and thumb before chewing elegantly. Kakashi shook his head in wonder.

"Anyway, you guys probably know why I'm here," Kakashi said.

"We can assume," Neji told him.

Kakashi let out a breath. He pulled his mask forward, dropped some food in the gap then started chewing. Hizashi and Hatomi stared at this phenomenon but Tenten was used to it. So was Neji.

"We figured out who the eleven Hyuuga were who attack you guys in the park yesterday. All of them were Branch House members but none of them are talking. Ibiki, by law, isn't allowed to do much in the way of making them talk but Hiashi is going to see them tomorrow to well, _convince_ them in other ways," Kakashi said.

Tenten saw Neji wince. Hatomi chewed slowly on a piece of herring taken from the soba noodles. Hizashi had shoved half a sesame dumpling into his mouth. He looked like a little chipmunk. Both of them looked _too_ intently at Kakashi for fifteen month olds.

"I told them before coming here what Hiashi plans to do and offered them protection from the Main House if they do talk. No one spoke but I'm sure someone might before your Uncle gets to them," Kakashi said.

"Let us hope so," Neji said lightly.

Kakashi nodded. Hatomi nibbled on a piece of broccoli, still watching Kakashi while Hizashi shoved more rice into his mouth. Kakashi stared between the two for a moment before shaking his head.

"Once we have names we can go from there. As to what or how we're going, I don't know. Shikamaru's looking into old records to see if there's some kind of loop-hole about this situation and Temari's helping him while their kid sleeps on the floor. I swear that boy is more like his father every day.

"Anyway, Hanabi is searching the records in the vault of the Hyuuga Compound since only her or her father can go into it and Hiashi's busy with clan duties. I don't think there's ever been a case like this one though. It's rare enough a Hyuuga is allowed to marry outside the clan, never mind allowed to have _kids_."

Kakashi sighed. Tenten watched her twins for a few moments before putting food into her mouth. She didn't taste it, not really, but she was kind of hungry. Neji ate with the kind of precision born from being smacked if you didn't learn to eat with decorum. He hadn't touched his herring soba.

"Yet there have been no indications Boruto is to bear the curse seal," Neji said.

Kakashi shrugged.

"They don't want to go against Naruto who's basically part of the new generation of sannin with Sakura and Sasuke. They know they would be wiped out if they threatened Naruto," Kakashi said.

"So I am the weaker prey," Neji said.

Tenten frowned as Kakashi winced. Tenten watched Neji put his chopsticks down as his jaw tensed. Neji let out a breath and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest while he scowled.

"Less directly threatening," Kakashi said. "Plus Hinata was a former Main House member, er, no offense."

Tenten didn't feel hungry anymore. She put her chopsticks to a side but stood to make a pot of tea.

"None taken," Neji said.

No one spoke as Tenten made tea. She set out three cups then poured it once the pot boiled. Neji thanked her with a little smile and sipped his green tea once she finished pouring. Kakashi nodded to her. Tenten noticed Hatomi had started sucking on a peach slice. Hizashi had made a mess of his high chair as normal and chomped on broccoli now. At least her twins weren't going through the fussy stage yet.

"So what _can_ we do if Shikamaru, Temari, and Hanabi don't find a loop-hole?" Tenten questioned.

Kakashi sagged in his seat. He rubbed his forehead with one hand then shook his head.

"I can't keep an ANBU detail on you guys forever. Even if I do, the Hyuuga clan will find a way around them. You know that, I know that, and they're probably all ready plotting it. I can't move you out of Konoha because they'll be the first people to find you. Besides, I'd like to keep you both under my jurisdiction, thanks.

"We can't just, you know, kill off all the Main House Hyuuga who want your kids sealed. That would cripple the clan. And as much as killing off all the annoying Main House members would help the clan as a whole, we just can't do that.

"To be honest, I have no idea what we can do. Hiashi has been trying to abolish the curse seal since the war ended but again, he needs majority vote of the Elders and yeah. I mean, if we can get those eleven Elders off the council and put in ones who want the reform to happen then we have no issues. We're really counting on the loop-hole thing or a mysterious disease killing off the Elder Council."

Tenten let out a breath as Kakashi shook his head. Neji had a frown on his face as Hatomi and Hizashi finished eating. The silence was oppressive then Hizashi tossed his sippy cup to the ground which made them all jump.

"Hizashi," Neji scowled.

Hizashi pouted.

"Quiet," Hizashi said.

Tenten stared at her son then at Neji. Kakashi looked to the little boy and tilted his head to a side.

"It was too quiet so you wanted to distract us?" Kakashi asked.

Hizashi nodded. Tenten couldn't help but smile as Kakashi almost face planted in his food.

"Urg, I guess we should've known. You two are brilliant in completely different ways," Kakashi said.

Neji inclined his head. He stood to clean up the mess of milk then took Hizashi's plate away. Hizashi took off his bib but did accept the milk Neji gave him. Hatomi held up her plate to Neji who took it. Tenten grinned as Neji lifted Hatomi out of her high chair then sat back in his chair with her in his lap.

"Can't _you_ tell the Hyuuga clan to stop with the curse seal?" Tenten questioned.

"I could," Kakashi said. "But they could turn around and revolt. Then it would be a whole Uchiha situation and really, let's not repeat that again, thanks."

"It wouldn't be much of a revolt if half the people doing it are elders," Akino mentioned.

Tenten held back her snicker when Kakashi looked to his ninken. Akino still had the princess gear on. Kakashi sighed.

"But they can force the Branch House to rise up, like they did yesterday," Kakashi said. "It's one big mess. But hey, you have me, Naruto, Shikamaru, Temari, and well, everyone trying to find a solution somewhere. And you know Hiashi's made _some_ changes to the clan. The curse seal is the biggest sticky issue."

Tenten rubbed her aching forehead and looked to Neji. He had a frown on his face as he held Hatomi close. She had tucked her head under his chin and held a hunk of his hair in her hand. Tenten wondered if they should wean Hatomi off being so cuddly with Neji. It wouldn't work, really. Tenten would have to wean both of them off it.

"Anyway, we are trying. Someone will be back with a status update," Kakashi said.

Tenten thanked him. Kakashi nodded and got to his feet. Neji walked him to the door as Tenten got Hizashi out of his high chair and sitting on the counter so she could clean him up. Once he was clean, she put him on the floor so he could run around while she and Neji cleaned the kitchen. Tenten pulled off Akino's princess gear and the ninken pouted for ten minutes.

Hatomi had gone barnacle mode on Neji's leg, wrapping her tiny arms around his calf and standing on his foot as he moved around helping Tenten clean. Tenten said nothing but did have to chase Hizashi down so she could bring him into the bathroom where Neji was all ready bathing Hatomi.

"Stay daddy?" Hatomi asked once she was in her pyjamas.

Tenten tucked Hizashi into his crib. He fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

"You will be fine, Princess, I promise," Neji said.

Tenten turned to watch Neji tuck her in. She grinned when Neji leaned into the crib and kissed his daughter's forehead lightly before brushing back some of her long hair. He left with Tenten and they kept the door open with a night light on.

Their bedroom door was left open as well but within seconds Neji was down to his tight boxers and her down to a pair of panties and a loose tee shirt, one of his old ones. Both ninken stayed with their kids but Tenten didn't mind. She settled in bed and instantly Neji was curled to her right, his head on her stomach. She ran her fingers through his hair and he sighed against her.

"Shikamaru will figure something out," Tenten said.

"No doubt," Neji said.

"It's still making me worried though,"

"Hn,"

"Stupid fate,"

She groaned as Neji chuckled at her.

"Jerk,"

He kissed her covered stomach. She patted his head and closed her eyes. Maybe she could get some sleep tonight. All she had to do was trust in her friends and that wasn't too difficult.

* * *

So, no one actually knows how the Hyuuga clan is reformed or _if_ they're reformed cuz we don't get much detail into it at all. We can _assume_ it is eventually reformed in canon but since Neji dies in the canon we can't tell by just looking at Neji's kid.

And hey, this is all non-canon so I can make up whatever the heck I want.

For those wondering: eventually Neji and Tenten are going to be having kinky sex. Don't ask me when because I'm kind of flying by the seat of my pants here. I do have a _few_ things planned (maybe twin boys? Hizashi and Hatomi finding Neji and Tenten's _special_ scroll and pulling out items? Hatomi and Hizashi as teens with Neji being all over-protective because Hatomi has fan-boys?) but no ending so...yeah. I might pull a Harry Potter and do an "And all was well" when I get tired of writing this thing. Fair warning. ;)

Reviews welcome.


	13. Reform

**Reform**

 **Author's Notes:** I guess the title kind of gives this away, huh? Anyway, there will be more time skipping coming up because, well, I want to. So there.

HUGE THANK YOU to every single one of my readers/reviewers. You're the fuel that keeps me going.

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji _lives_. They're in their 20s in this more plot less kinky sex story.

Remember: chapter a day till Oct 31 then I'll be taking a month break for NaNoWriMo. And yes, I'll try to get a few chapters of "Life, Love, and Genin" up before I take off.

* * *

Tenten put Hizashi into his crib gently and let out a breath. The whole day she and Neji had been left to ponder on Kakashi's words while they watched their kids play either inside or outside. Hatomi clung to Neji more than normal and Tenten wanted to ask how much her daughter really understood.

She wished she could smile as Hizashi fell asleep instantly. Her head whirled with too many thoughts about the Hyuuga Clan, the curse seal, her children's fate, and the injustice of Naruto not having to worry about Boruto being sealed.

Okay, sure, Naruto was virtually a god now and Hinata had been a Main House member. And yeah, Boruto didn't have Hyuuga pale eyes so probably wouldn't develop Byakugan. It didn't mean she had to like it.

"Dada,"

Tenten turned to see Hatomi standing in her crib with her hands full of Neji's hair. Tenten frowned since Hatomi was two seconds away from going into total meltdown mode. Neji looked exhausted but did pick up his Princess. Hatomi burrowed her head into the crook of Neji's neck and he met Tenten's eyes.

Tenten wanted to laugh at the helpless look on Neji's face since it was rare for Neji to give such a look but she couldn't. Tenten didn't know what to do either. They couldn't keep letting Hatomi sleep in their bed or let her snuggle to Neji so often but with the situation...

"Let's see if she falls asleep in your arms, then you know," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

Neji let out a little breath as he agreed. Tenten made sure Hizashi was still asleep (he was) then left the nursery with Neji. Akino and Pakkun stuck with Hizashi but Tenten left the door open. A knock came at the door and she pulled senbon into her hands as Neji activated Byakugan.

"Shikamaru," Neji said.

Tenten sagged in relief and put her senbon away. Neji went into the kitchen to start on tea as Tenten opened the door. She smiled at Shikamaru who yawned at her before rubbing the top of his head.

"Evening," Shikamaru said.

"Hey, Neji's making tea," Tenten told him.

"Hm," Shikamaru muttered.

He came in the door anyway, taking off his shoes by toeing them off before walking towards the kitchen. Tenten saw the deep bags under Shikamaru's eyes. His normally neat clothing was rumpled as if he had been sleeping in it and his hair, though not neat like Neji's was messier than normal. One side of the pineapple like shape on his head was flatter than the other but Tenten decided it best not to mention it.

She set out tea cups and found some left over dango in the fridge from Kakashi's kindness last night. She set this out too and Shikamaru grabbed a stick, not even caring the treat was cold.

"Did you eat?" Tenten asked.

"Not yet," Shikamaru said.

Tenten rolled her eyes and took out the rest of the leftovers from Kakashi's meal. Normally there wouldn't be any but the twins didn't eat much while she and Neji hadn't felt like eating. Tenten's stomach was one big knot in which food wouldn't pass. Once all this was over though she would be starving.

Shikamaru watched as Tenten warmed up the food. Neji poured the tea and went about helping Tenten. They sat and Shikamaru thanked them before digging in.

"Hyuuga Naoki told us the Elders put him and the eleven others up to kidnapping your kids," Shikamaru said.

Tenten would always appreciate how Shikamaru got straight to the point. Shikamaru chewed for a moment, swallowed then licked his lips.

"They were promised the ability to be with who they wanted either in or out of the Hyuuga clan. A good portion of the Branch House didn't take the bait as the Elders gathered them all, well, anyone over fourteen anyway, into a room and gave them the choice.

"Naoki has been dating a man outside of the clan for a year now and wants to move in with him, that's why he took the deal. He did say he and a few of the others were planning to get Hatomi and Hizashi _out_ of the Compound once the Elders were sure they were in the Compound. Six of the eleven, including Neho, were in on betraying the Elders. The other five? No idea. Naoki was the only one who talked."

Shikamaru paused here to eat a bit more. Tenten digested the information she heard then bit her lip before glancing to Neji. He was staring at his tea, eyes slightly narrowed and damp. Tenten knew it would have hurt him to hear Neho, the man Neji had killed, would have tried to betray the Elders after helping them.

"Naoki is living with his man, a chunin name Kinoshita Yushiro. He's part of the Torture and Interrogation unit. Both are under protective watch which means two ANBU are on them at all times. The other Branch Hyuuga are still in cells but we're talking to the ones who wanted to betray the Elders about putting them into protective watch like Naoki."  
Tenten sipped her tea as Shikamaru rubbed his eyes then ate a bit more. She peered at Neji who had raised his head to watch Shikamaru. To anyone who didn't know him, Neji's face looked blank but she could see the little tension lines around his eyes and lips.

"I know Naoki and Yushiro, well actually. Naoki confided in me about Yushiro in the first place and I told Naoki to shape his own fate," Neji said.

Tenten managed her first smile all day. Shikamaru inclined his head.

"Good. Also good: I found a loop-hole."

Tenten didn't know whether to hug the Nara or pierce him with the senbon in her bracelets.

"Could've _led_ with that," Tenten said.

Shikamaru smirked. Tenten heard Neji huff and saw him with an eyebrow raised. She also saw Hatomi was still awake in her father's arms, one hand tangled in his hair while the other held the collar of his tee shirt tight.

"If Hiashi, Hanabi, Tsunade, Kakashi, and Naruto are all in the same meeting with the Eleven Elders then Hiashi can formally request his Elder Council be disbanded and chosen by the past, present, and future Hokage," Shikamaru said.

Tenten stared. She saw Neji's eyes had widened and his lips had parted. Tenten had a feeling they would all be getting a good night's sleep tonight.

"What mean?" Hatomi asked.

Tenten smiled when Shikamaru blinked then looked at the little girl in Neji's arms. Neji kissed the top of his daughter's head and gave her the tiniest grin.

"It means the bad people no longer have the power to get to you," Neji said.

Hatomi stared at her father for a moment. Tenten smiled when Hatomi looked to her. Shikamaru nodded. Hatomi let the biggest yawn split her face before staring at her father.

"Tired," Hatomi said.

Tenten kept her laugh back as Neji chuckled. He stood and carried Hatomi back to the nursery. The happy feeling Tenten had bubbling up in her evaporated when she met Shikamaru's eyes.

"It's not that easy," Tenten said.

Shikamaru shrugged.

"Once the council is changed they can abolish the curse seal which means no one can brand your kids. But, there will _still_ be thirty Main House Hyuuga who _want_ your kids to have the seal. The directions are easily accessible and anyone can do it, even a non-Hyuuga once they get the seal itself with directions," Shikamaru said.

Tenten scowled. She almost fell over when Neji sat beside her and sipped his tea. He finished it mainly because it would get too cool for him soon and he hated wasting tea.

"Even so, anyone who kidnaps my children and attempts to brand them will be going _against_ the new Hyuuga Law. Besides, the new council can vote to say if anyone attempts to brand anyone else or use the curse seal then that person is sealed. My Uncle is not foolish, Shikamaru. He will deliver a list of Main House Hyuuga who will vote with him on this issue to Kakashi discreetly and quickly," Neji said.

Tenten looked between both men and waited. Shikamaru nodded while Neji raised an eyebrow.

"The Elders aren't stupid though. They won't go into a meeting knowing the past, present, and future Hokage are in the room," Shikamaru said.

Tenten inwardly grinned at her husband when he spoke:

"Who says they have to know?"

Shikamaru snorted then shrugged again.

"Point, Kakashi and Hiashi are doing the actual arranging. You two are going to be called in one of these days to attend," Shikamaru said.

Tenten regarded the two men in front of her. Neji had sagged a bit in his seat, looking relieved. Shikamaru finished off the left overs and Tenten wished he had saved some. Go figure she was hungry now.

"So, I can be relieved now?" Tenten asked.

"Yeah," Shikamaru said.

Tenten let out a breath then leaned so she could place her head on Neji's shoulder. He chuckled at her but she didn't care. Her children would be safe.

* * *

Tenten shifted in the uncomfortable wooden chair but didn't complain. Hizashi sat on the floor in front of her, stacking some blocks with a little pout on his face. He was not impressed he had been allowed to bring ten blocks to play with when he normally had dozens. Hatomi didn't care about not having a toy. She happily stood on Neji's thigh and kept one hand in his hair while the other clutched his flank jacket.

Beside Neji sat Naruto then Kakashi then Tsunade. To Tenten's right sat Shikamaru, Iruka, and Shizune. In front of their line of chairs were thirteen others. The Elders were coming from the Hyuuga Compound to meet with Kakashi about the twins. The Elders had no idea Naruto and Tsunade were in the meeting.

"What do we do if they run?" Naruto asked.

"They're the Hyuuga Elders. They're too prideful to run," Tsunade said.

Tenten agreed with the blond. Besides, the Elders wouldn't dare let Neji a so-called lowly Branch House member see their fear. Still. She wished Hizashi liked to be cuddled as much as Hatomi. She wanted to keep him close.

The door opened and Tenten stiffened. To her left, Neji sat straighter in his chair and held Hatomi close. Hatomi whimpered when the Elders Council of the Hyuuga clan walked through the door in pairs or threes. All the Council members stared at those gathered for a moment before primly settling in the chairs, leaving the two middle ones free for Hiashi and Hanabi.

Tenten noticed Hatomi had turned completely to hide her entire face in the crook of Neji's neck. Both of Hatomi's tiny arms had wrapped around Neji's neck and her body was shivering. Neji kept an arm around her middle while one hand rubbed her back. He had tilted his head against hers and Tenten could hear him humming softly.

The Council did not look as nervous as they should considering who was in the room. Maybe they thought Hiashi and Hanabi didn't know about the rule of dissolving the Hyuuga council. Tenten hoped so. It would be a good shock for them.

"Hyuuga Naoki told us what happened at the park four days ago," Kakashi said.

"Whatever that boy said is a lie," one of the Elders said.

"Yamanaka Ino confirmed it," Kakashi said as if the Elder hadn't spoken.

The Elders scowled or frowned. One or two started clutching either their hands together harder or the cane they had used to walk with in a tighter grip. They were getting nervous.

"At the moment, Naoki is living with his lover Kinoshita Yushiro, and will remain there until he wishes," Kakashi said.

"You cannot—" a different elder started.

"I approved it," Hiashi said.

All eleven whirled on Hiashi who raised an eyebrow at them. Before any of them could speak, Hiashi opened his mouth:

"We do not need to meet for every little thing."

"The matter of a Hyuuga living off clan property is no little thing," an elder said.

Hiashi shrugged. Hanabi grinned.

"Naoki has told us all many times he has absolutely zero attraction to women and thus will never pass on the Byakugan. Why should it matter if he lives on the Compound or not?" Hiashi asked.

The Elders glared at him but Hiashi didn't let it bother him.

"That is not the issue we are here to discuss or it would be Naoki and Yushiro in those chairs instead of Neji and Tenten," Hiashi pointed out.

The Elders grumbled and Tenten tensed when they all turned their heated stares to her and Neji. Tenten felt someone grab her legs and looked down to see Hizashi had dropped his blocks and was trying to climb into her lap. Tenten easily pulled him into her arms and he took up the same pose as his sister.

"There _is no_ issue," an Elder began. "Neji is a Branch House member therefore, so are his children. It means under Hyuuga Law if either child should have the Byakugan they are to be sealed and live on the Compound."

"We promised Neji-niisan he would be allowed to live off Compound with his wife, Tenten-neechan," Hanabi said.

"You all signed a contract," Hiashi reminded them.

"And we've been through that a bunch of times," Kakashi added.

One Elder tapped his cane hard on the ground and Tenten felt Hizashi jump. She kissed the side of his head. He whimpered before cuddling into her harder.

"The contract did not outline what would happen if one of Neji's children should possess Byakugan," the Elder who tapped his cane said. "We _cannot_ have Branch House Hyuuga wandering around outside the clan without the Caged Bird Seal."

"Who says they have to be considered Branch?" Hiashi questioned.

"Well they are _not_ born of two Main House Hyuuga," another Elder replied.

Hiashi sighed. Tenten had never seen the man look so tired. She almost burst out laughing when Hiashi met Kakashi's eyes.

"This is what I have had to deal with since we found out Hatomi possesses the Byakugan," Hiashi said.

The Elders had various expressions of insult on their faces. Hiashi rubbed his temples.

"I cannot get anything done with my council and even speaking with you this issue will not be resolved," Hiashi went on.

The Elders stared at him.

"It is not our fault you will not see the way of the Hyuuga is upheld," an Elder said.

Hiashi gave a large sigh and leaned back in his chair. He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. Tenten couldn't stop staring at him.

"The Hyuuga are changing but these eleven refuse to change with the rest of the clan. Pity I cannot vote them off the council," Hiashi said.

Tenten bit the inside of her lip. She glanced to Neji and spotted an amused light in his eyes. Tenten wanted to start laughing. Hiashi was _pretending_ he didn't know about the loop-hole Shikamaru had found.

"Funny you should say that, Hiashi," Shikamaru said.

All the Elders stiffed while Hiashi raised an eyebrow in interest. Hanabi tilted her head to a side in mock curiosity.

"I was cleaning out the record room as a training exercise to be the Hokage's right hand man. The job itself was a drag but I found something interesting," Shikamaru went on.

Now the Elders were exchanging glances with wide eyes. Sweat had gathered on some of the brows of the Elders while others started trembling slightly. Others had white knuckled grips on their canes or their hands.

"Seems that if you wish to absolve the Hyuuga Elder Council, you can, so long as you are in the presence of the past, present, and future Hokage, the right hand people of the Hokage, the Elder Council and your heir," Shikamaru finished.

"Truly?" Hiashi questioned.

Tenten caught the mirth in Hiashi's eyes only because she knew how to read the white eyes of the Hyuuga clan. She kept her laughter back but it was one of the hardest damned things she had to do in her life.

"Yep," Shikamaru said. "Though, the Hokage has to choose your new Elder Council."

The Council gulped. Some of them were biting their lips while others looked ready to pass out. Tenten peered at Neji who had his neutral expression going on though his eyes were lit in joy.

"Hn, it seems all the required people are in attendance. I move to abolish my current council," Hiashi said.

"You cannot do that!" one of the Elders said.

"He just did," Hanabi muttered.

"Motion approved," Kakashi said with a thumb up.

"Seconded," Tsunade said with a smirk.

"Thirded," Naruto said with a smile.

The former Elder Council stared ahead with dropped jaws and wide eyes. Hiashi looked left and right at the former Elders, one eyebrow raised and the ghost of a grin on his face.

"I do believe this means you are all dismissed as you no longer have say in the Hyuuga Clan," Hiashi said.

"Not until we know who our replacements are," one said.

Kakashi made a show of sighing.

"Iruka, can you get me the list of Hyuuga Main House members?" Kakashi asked.

"Sure," Iruka said.

Tenten watched in concealed merriment as Iruka _left_ the room. The silence went on for what felt like hours but Iruka came back holding a medium sized scroll. They had to do some kind of awkward shuffle so Iruka could sit beside Kakashi. The scroll was unravelled and Kakashi looked over the names.

"Ah, Hiashi, who _are_ qualified to become Elders?" Kakashi questioned.

"You, he can't help you with that! He'll pick people who will agree with him on the Seal," one of the females said.

Hiashi huffed as if insulted.

"Anyone over the age of fifty or ranked as retired jonin due to injury," Hiashi said to Kakashi. "You honestly believe I would help determine my own council based on if they would agree with me?"

The former council glared at Hiashi's question. Hiashi hummed in offence. Tenten wished the former council would leave so she could laugh. Hiashi should get a medal for this act. She might make him one. She had the tools. She just had to take them out of their attic storage.

"We need eleven, right?" Kakashi questioned.

"Yes," Hanabi said.

"Hm," Kakashi said.

Tenten, Neji, and everyone _but_ the former council knew Kakashi all ready had the names in mind.

"Wow, you guys have a lot of retired Jonin from injury," Kakashi said.

"Fourth Shinobi War," Hiashi said with a shrug.

"Okay, Hiraku, Himanshu, Hikozou, Hiroki, Hiko, Hiroshi, Hikaru for the guys," Kakashi said.

"Hina, Hiizu, Hiromi, Hiori for the girls."

It sounded like he pulled random names from a hat. Tenten saw the fury on the faces of the former Elders and _knew_ the Eleven Kakashi had picked were to the liking of Hiashi and Hanabi. Both kept the smiles on their faces.

"Problem?" Kakashi asked the former elders.

"No," one muttered.

"Good," Kakashi said with a grin which made his eyes crinkle. "Why don't you all head on home? Iruka, can you get people to track down those Hyuuga I just mentioned?"

"Of course," Iruka said.

Tenten spotted Iruka had written down the names. He left in a rush and the Elders gave Hiashi and everyone else a final glare.

"You will destroy our clan, Hiashi, Hanabi. I hope you have a good reason when you meet our ancestors," one said.

"Evolution, it happens," Hanabi said. "Besides, do you _want_ us to be like the Uchiha who inbreed so much they were considered a threat and were all killed off? Yeah? Oh cool, we'll keep moving on the same path then."

Tenten decided she should invite Hanabi over more often. The Elders gave a few final complaints before walking out of the room. The door closed. Tenten lasted thirty seconds before she started giggling.

"Nice job, Hiashi," Tsunade said with a chuckle.

"Thank you," Hiashi said with a nod.

"Jeez, you guys have a lot of 'h' names," Naruto muttered.

"There is a master list of 'h' and 'n' names in the office," Hanabi explained. "It makes sure we don't have anyone with doubles."

Naruto almost fell out of his chair. Kakashi deadpanned. Neji shrugged but everyone else laughed. Tenten pouted when Hizashi started struggling to get down. She put him down and he began happily stacking his blocks. Tenten glanced to Neji and saw Hatomi had peeked out of Neji's shoulder but still clung to him.

"You are safe now, Princess," Neji said to Hatomi.

"Well, in half an hour or so she will be for sure," Kakashi said.

"Safe?" Hatomi asked her father, ignoring Kakashi.

Kakashi groaned and rubbed his temples.

"Yes, safe," Neji said.

Hatomi's grin broke her face. Tenten smiled with her daughter and let out a relieved breath. Safe. It was good to hear.

* * *

It had been a few months since Tenten had seen her daughter so happy. Without the threat of the Hyuuga Clan branding her over her head, Hatomi was more willing to leave Neji's side to explore the world like her two minute older brother. Currently the two were kicking a ball back and forth to each other while Tenten and Neji sat on their porch, legs spread out in front of them on the grass.

"Stop pouting," Tenten told her husband.

"I am not pouting," Neji said.

Tenten rolled her eyes at him but smiled. His lower lip stuck out a bit and his mouth was turned down in a frown. His eyebrows knitted together slightly and though his arms hung at his sides, his shoulders were slumped.

"She's still your Princess," Tenten said.

"And always will be," Neji said.

Tenten pitied any boy who got a crush on Hatomi. She had a feeling Hizashi would be as protective of his sister. Tenten also might take to sharpening her weapons whenever Hatomi had a guy friend over. You never knew when you needed a really sharp kunai.

Tenten leaned against Neji's shoulder and his arm came up to wrap around her waist. Tenten couldn't believe the Hyuuga were changing so drastically. The division between Main and Branch house had been abolished. Anyone who wanted to marry outside the clan had to see Hiashi, Hanabi, and the new Elder Council for permission but Tenten had all ready seen at least four Hyuuga move out of the Compound this month.

She had met the new Elder Council and though "Elder" didn't really describe them. All eleven were in their later thirties or mid-forties and older than her but they didn't scream "Elder" like the old council.

They laughed, they joked, and they had _proper_ debates with Hiashi and Hanabi instead of flat out refusing a suggestion brought forth by the Clan Head or other members of the clan. Apparently they had gotten so much done in a month, Hanabi was allowed to explore the Village more instead of attending stifling meetings.

The Hyuuga heiress often ended up hanging out with Hatomi and Hizashi. When she wasn't with them, she was with Boruto but even Tenten could tell the twins were Hanabi's favorites out of the three.

"Naoki and Yushiro are coming for dinner tonight," Neji said.

"Yeah, Naoki reminded me when I ran into him getting milk this morning," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

Tenten kissed his cheek. Neji smiled lightly. They winced when Hatomi took a header in the grass. Tenten felt Neji stiffen but Hatomi got to her feet, brushed off the front of her dress then took off after her brother with a laugh.

Tenten snickered when Neji deflated. Neji kept the pout on his face but Tenten wouldn't call him out on it. She liked to let him have some of the old Hyuuga pride. There wasn't much left because once a woman saw a Hyuuga covered in pee thanks to his son, well, pride went out the window.

"Should we start training them?" Neji questioned.

"Nah, give 'em till they're two at least," Tenten replied.

Neji chuckled but nodded. Tenten watched her twins running back and forth over the grass, chasing down a bright red ball. A warm, fuzzy feeling spread over her and Tenten looked up at Neji. His eyes shifted so he could look at her from the corner and she grinned.

"Want to make more babies?" Tenten asked.

Neji raised an eyebrow. She beamed. He hummed and his eyes shifted forward again.

"No, let us wait until they are two at least,"

Tenten groaned then smacked his shoulder. He winked at her and she smirked. Okay, so maybe she kind of liked this whole mother thing. Neji also seemed to love being a father. Besides, Guy-sensei did want a couple of _teams_ of grandkids.

Tenten glanced up at Neji who had a small smile on his face. She knew he'd faint if she let him know her intentions. Nah, she wouldn't tell him yet.

 _Twenty-Two Months Later_

"This was a bad idea. Why are we doing this?"

Tenten met Neji's eyes but he didn't answer. He did have an eyebrow raised and a little smirk on his face. Tenten groaned but didn't have the energy to swat him. She didn't have the energy for a lot of things these days, not with two three year olds running around and newborns.

Someone was crying. Tenten lifted her head from the back of the couch and groaned. Neji snorted at her but he went towards the crying. Tenten let her head fall back against the couch and stared at the ceiling. More crying.

Neji had been right about waiting a bit longer for having more kids. Tenten would ask Hinata how to deal with it but really, Tenten had been dealing with two kids for way longer than Hinata had. The problem was her and Neji were outnumbered two to one.

"Shun's hungry," Neji said.

Tenten looked at her newest bundle of joy and huffed. Shun seemed to be famished all the time. Shi on the other hand, not so much.

"That is mine!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"Hatomi, if your brother wants to wear the boa then let him," Neji said.

Tenten took Shun from Neji then glanced to her oldest twins. Hatomi had one end of a pink feathered boa in her hands while Hizashi had the other end in his hands. Both were thirty-seven inches tall, Hizashi half an inch taller, while Hatomi weighed twenty-nine pounds, Hizashi thirty-two.

"Why?" Hatomi asked.

Neji raised his eyebrow at her. Hatomi pouted. Neji kept staring at her. Hatomi huffed and let go of the boa. Hizashi stumbled backwards but caught his balance before he fell on his ass. He grinned then wrapped the boa over his shoulders, flipping one end so it swung around his neck to hang over his back.

Tenten kept her laughter back while Shun fed. Neji inclined his head to his daughter as she frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. Tenten watched as Hatomi went over to their toy chest then put on her tiara before taking up a white feather boa. Hizashi happily sat in front of his clay and began molding, all while the boa sat wrapped around his neck.

Hatomi glared at her brother but took up a puzzle. Tenten shook her head then looked down to Shun. Like his older brother and sister, Shun hadn't opened his eyes until a week had passed. Shi had waited a full ten days. Both had almost pure white eyes like Neji but when the sun hit their eyes _just right_ , they turned golden, more golden than Neji's would in the same light.

"They're still tiny," Tenten said.

"They are three weeks old," Neji told her.

Shi and Shun had been born one week after Hatomi and Hizashi's third birthday on April 17th even though the newer twins were supposed to be due at the end of May. Shi came tumbling into the world first at 3:43AM while Shun took his dear sweet time and popped out at 4:03AM. Shi had barely whimpered while Shun wailed for an hour.

"Hey, I wanted to do that puzzle!"

"I wanted to wear that boa,"

"MEANIE! MOMMY!"

Tenten rolled her eyes. She should have known Hatomi would pick a puzzle Hizashi wanted to do as revenge against him wearing her boa. Hatomi was too brilliant for a three year old.

"Hizashi, we share in this house," Neji said.

"But, but," Hizashi said.

"Hizashi," Neji warned.

Hizashi pouted. Long dark hair fell into his face as he lowered his head and crossed his arms over his chest. Hizashi blew back his hair grumpily and Tenten wondered again if her son would let her trim his hair so he could _see._

She noticed Hatomi happily putting the puzzle together with a coy grin on her face. Neji had tied Hatomi's hair into pigtails then braided both, finishing them with pale blue ribbons which matched her dress. Hatomi liked to match. Hizashi wore a bright green tee shirt Lee had somehow snuck into her son's wardrobe with bright red shorts along with one yellow sock, one orange sock and a pink boa. Tenten was pretty sure Hizashi was color blind.

Hizashi glared at his sister before walking back over to his blocks. Hatomi hummed as she did the puzzle, knowing in the end she had gotten her way. Tenten was afraid for when her daughter started her teenage years.

Shun finished sucking but Tenten knew better than to pull him away from her nipple. He would start crying again immediately until he fell into a deeper sleep. Tenten sighed as she watched the twins play. They had been acting out since Shi and Shun came into the world simply because her and Neji's attention was now divided in four.

Sure, Hizashi and Hatomi were independent but it didn't mean Hatomi wanted to give up her father so soon or Hizashi his mother. They hadn't liked the move out of the nursery even if they had been placated by getting to pick and decorate their rooms.

Hatomi, smarty-pants she was, picked the room across from the bathroom. Hizashi picked the room in the secondary hallway and to the right. Hatomi's room looked like a can of pink paint had exploded in it: walls, rug, curtains, bedspreads, accents on the white dressers, lamps, all in the same bright color. Hizashi's room was bright green (Neji hadn't been able to paint it and nearly fainted when Hizashi picked the color) with blue lamps, orange curtains, and a yellow bedspread.

Tenten heard a light whimper from the baby monitor on the table. Neji hummed and got to his feet. Tenten let out a breath when Neji came back with Shi, Shun's older double. Shi still wore the blue bracelet Sakura had put on his arm after being born so Tenten and Neji could tell them apart.

Both boys had inherited Tenten's messy brown hair but their father's strong jaw, wide white eyes, and high cheekbones. They had her nose though which took away from the regal appearance they would have.

Hatomi glanced up when Tenten carefully pulled Shun away from her nipple. He screamed. Tenten groaned. Hatomi winced.

"Why's he so sad all the time?" Hizashi asked.

"He's a baby, babies cry," Tenten replied.

She and Neji switched so Shi could eat while Shun wailed.

"Shi doesn't cry," Hizashi said.

"Shi's a smart baby," Tenten told him.

Neji snorted but got to his feet. He began walking around the sitting room, circling it while he rocked Shun who kept sobbing. Tenten shook her head and watch as Shi sucked softly on her nipple. Shun latched on with force that made her tender while Shi was more kind, almost apologetic.

Someone knocked.

Neji raised an eyebrow at her but she shook her head. No one was supposed to be coming over today. It didn't mean her friends weren't prone to randomly stopping by. Neji shifted Shun to one hip as he walked to the door. Tenten almost laughed at the look on Naruto's face when he was revealed.

"Uh, hey-ya," Naruto said.

"Loud," Boruto complained and covered his ears.

"Loud," Himawari mimicked her brother.

Hinata nodded but walked in, carrying her daughter as Naruto walked in holding Boruto's hand. Boruto kept his one ear covered. Neji shut the door as Naruto easily navigated Boruto towards the sliding doors. Hizashi chased after the soon-to-be Hokage and took off outside with Boruto and Naruto.

"I am going to let him cry it out in his crib," Neji muttered.

Tenten inclined her head. Sometimes all they could do was let Shun cry it out. The wailing volume lessened as Neji walked towards the nursery. Tenten saw Himawari had sat beside Hatomi, watching as the older girl put the puzzle together. Hinata sat beside Tenten who nodded.

"Why did we have more?" Tenten asked.

"Well, Naruto and I wanted a boy and a girl. You had both all ready so I have no idea," Hinata said.

Tenten groaned. She was about to ask Hinata why she had stupidly followed Guy's advice on having lots of kids but stopped. She grinned when Neji singing softly came over the baby monitor. She saw Hinata pursing her lips and flushing softly.

"A canary sings a cradle song, sleep, sleep, sleep my child. Above the cradle, the loquat fruits sway, sleep, sleep, sleep my child," Neji sang.

"Aw, niisan," Hinata giggled.

"Shun will only go to sleep when Neji sings. Not me, Neji. Shi doesn't care," Tenten said.

Shun's crying had gone down to a small sort of whining. Tenten smiled as Neji continued the song:

"A squirrel rocks the cradle by its rope, sleep, sleep, sleep my child. Dreams in a cradle with the yellow moon shining down, sleep, sleep, sleep my child."

Shun was fast asleep. Tenten could tell because it was quiet in the room. Tenten heard Neji sigh and get up off the chair he would have pulled up to Shun's crib. Two minutes later he came out of the room.

"Aw, niisan," Hinata said.

He huffed at her but a flush rose on his cheeks. Tenten blew him a kiss and his flush deepened. Hinata giggled at him. They all started when Hatomi got to her feet, brushed off the back of her dress, calmly took Himawari's hand then proceeded to lead the smaller girl outside.

"Should we be worried she's so advanced?" Tenten questioned.

"No," Neji answered.

"Wait a few more years," Hinata said.

Tenten groaned. Neji sighed when Shun started crying over the baby monitor. Tenten shook her head at Neji who muttered before walking back towards the nursery. Shi had stopped feeding so Tenten fixed her shirt before sneaking towards the sliding doors with Hinata.

Hinata giggled when they got outside and sat on the edge of the porch, legs stretched out on the grass. They couldn't hear Shun wailing anymore and Tenten got to watch as Hizashi and Boruto kicked a ball around. Himawari had gone straight to the sand box but Hatomi stood near the boys with a frown on her face. Naruto had settled next to his daughter in the sand with the biggest grin on his face.

"I would like to play," Hatomi said.

"Why?" Hizashi asked as he booted the ball to Boruto.

Boruto stopped the ball then kept one foot atop it, tilting his head to one side in curiosity. Hatomi crossed her arms over her chest.

"Why can I not play?" Hatomi questioned.

"Your daughter talks like her father," Hinata mentioned.

"I know, I know, don't remind me," Tenten said with a sigh.

"Cuz you're a poopy-face," Hizashi said.

Tenten groaned as Naruto looked up and blinked. Tenten saw Hinata trying not to laugh. Hatomi huffed.

"My face does not resemble poop," Hatomi said.

"And we've entered into the worry zone about them being so advanced," Hinata said.

Tenten snorted. Oh. Right. She was the mother. She should probably tell them not to call each other names.

"Hey, be nice," Tenten said.

"Why?" Hizashi asked.

"Because she's your sister," Tenten told him.

"So?" Hizashi questioned.

Tenten raised an eyebrow at her son. He frowned but didn't back down. Apparently Tenten didn't have the stern parent look down yet. Maybe she shouldn't have abandoned Neji.

"So you have to share with her and be nice to her," Tenten said.

"Why?" Hizashi enquired.

"Because that's what brother's do," Boruto said.

Tenten kept back her moan. Shown up by a three year old. She watched as Hizashi looked to Boruto who shrugged.

"That's stupid," Hizashi said.

Okay, maybe she hadn't been shown up by a three year old.

"You are stupid," Hatomi told her twin.

"No, you are," Hizashi said.

"I am not,"

"Are too,"

"Am not,"

"Are too!"

"Am not!" (complete with foot stomp)

"ARE TOO!"

"Hizashi, if your sister would like to play then let her,"

They all turned to see Neji holding Shun standing a yard behind Tenten. She grinned at him and he nodded. Hinata gaped as Shun was virtually dumped into her arms while Neji stepped over her and Hinata to walk towards his son.

"Why does she have to play with me?" Hizashi said.

"Give me a good reason why she should not," Neji said.

Hizashi blinked up at his father. Neji raised an eyebrow.

"She's a poopy-face," Hizashi said.

Neji snorted.

"I said a _good_ reason. Your sister is not a poopy-face and neither of you are stupid or whatever other insult you two can come up for each other. Give me a _logical_ reason Hatomi cannot play with you,"

Neji waited as Tenten promised once they got their free time she would show him how much she loved him. The five minute quickies between nap times weren't enough. She hoped he hadn't developed distaste to their special scroll with how long it had been since they used it.

"Well?" Neji questioned Hizashi.

"She's in a dress," Hizashi said.

"Dresses do not impede one's kicking ability," Neji said. "In fact, your mother fights in a qipao dress. You have seen what she wears on missions."

No wonder her kids were so smart. They had a dad who used words like "impede" around them. Hizashi gaped then frowned.

"But mom's a shinobi," Hizashi said.

"Your sister will be as well," Neji said.

Hizashi blinked. He looked to Boruto who shrugged. Neji raised his eyebrow. Hizashi huffed then stomped a foot.

"Why does she always get her way?" Hizashi shouted up at his father.

"Because I am logical," Hatomi said.

Hizashi stomped his foot. He turned on his heel, walked past Neji, and headed towards the play-set she and Neji had set up last year. The play-set came with monkey bars, a vertical climber with rope, slide, and monkey rings all attached to a platform with stairs, a pole to slide down, and a wall dedicated to round rubber cylinders that could be spun to play tic-tac-toe. It had taken them three days to set the thing up. At least it would help with shinobi training down the road.

Hizashi climbed the steps then hid behind the wall to play tic-tac-toe. Boruto kicked the ball to Hatomi who kicked it back as Neji crossed the lawn towards Hizashi. Naruto watched the scene while Himawari made a castle.

"Didn't they used to get along?" Hinata questioned.

Shun had his eyes open and was staring up at Hinata with parted lips. He probably wondered why daddy's hair had changed color and why his voice was lighter. Oh and why he had boobs.

"Yeah, they did up until these two were born. Now they're acting out because they're not getting enough attention from us. Don't have another kid and be outnumbered," Tenten said.

Hinata giggled then kissed Shun's forehead when he smiled.

"But the smell of baby powder," Hinata said.

"Urg, totally not worth it," Tenten said.

Hinata chuckled. Tenten held Shi close as Neji spoke to Hizashi in the play-set. Tenten couldn't see how Hizashi was reacting or hear what Neji said to him since Neji spoke too quietly. Neji was turned so she couldn't read his lips either. She looked over to Hatomi and Boruto then watched as Hatomi stopped the ball with her foot, bent, picked it up and started to walk over to the play-set.

Tenten bit her lip as Boruto scratched his head then ran to follow Hatomi. This could go either way when it came to Hatomi. Either she would throw the ball into Hizashi's face or she would apologize and ask him to play by giving him some kind of compliment.

Hatomi reached the play-set. Neji glanced down to her as Hatomi tossed the ball up then caught it. Hatomi's face gave away nothing. She took after her father too much.

"Come on you dolt. You kick better," Hatomi told her brother.

Hatomi had successfully insulted and praised her brother at the same time. Tenten figured she was fine in being both impressed and slightly afraid.

"You're a dolt," Hizashi said.

The typical Hizashi response. Hatomi rolled her eyes at him then put the ball on the ground. She kicked it towards the bigger, clear area of grass.

"We can all be dolts. Come on," Hatomi said.

She took off after the ball. Tenten sighed before leaning against the porch door. Only her daughter could turn an insult into motivation and backwards comment.

Tenten watched tiredly as Hizashi slid down the slide to join Hatomi who was kicking the ball between her feet, still managing to look regal, while she waited for the two boys. Boruto was slightly ahead but Hizashi caught up quickly enough.

The little blonde looked seconds away from laughing as did his father. Neji had deadpanned and was now rubbing his forehead. Hinata kept snickering.

"You want one of mine?" Tenten asked.

"I don't know if they could handle being separated," Hinata said.

Tenten smirked. No. Hizashi and Hatomi would hate being apart for too long. Sleeping was one thing but being apart for longer than sleeping over night or nap time? Nope, they'd flip.

"Okay fine, Shi or Shun?" Tenten questioned.

"Neither. You would hate yourself," Hinata said.

Tenten was about to argue but stopped. Yeah, she would hate herself. Neji would likely kill her too. No he hadn't spent twenty-five hours in labor with them but he hadn't left her side the whole time.

"Okay fine, it's worth it. Now you and Naruto go make more so we can suffer together," Tenten said.

Hinata raised an eyebrow and smiled. Tenten groaned when Hinata spoke:

"I am not that insane,"

* * *

Yes, yes, Hatomi and Hizashi act like they're way older. Let's remember Hanabi, who is five years younger than Hinata, managed to beat her big sister before Hinata even went to become a genin. I'd assume Hinata was about ten at the time which puts Hanabi at five. So there.

More time skipping ahead. Reviews welcome.


	14. Academy

**Academy**

 **Author's notes:** Let's do the time skip again! Kudos for those who get the reference. *winks* Also: Bondage sex ahead. Finally...ahaha.

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji _lives_. They're in their 20s in this more plot less kinky sex story.

Again, chapter a day till Oct 31 then I'm going on hiatus for a month during NaNoWriMo.

* * *

Chaos. Her life had been reduced to streams of chaos broken by sleep, five-minute quickies, and missions: none of which didn't came often enough. Today was the day Hizashi and Hatomi, her little six years old terrors, were to test for the Academy. Tenten couldn't get them ready quickly enough.

"Shun, stop kicking your brother," Tenten said over her shoulder.

Shun pouted as Shi went on eating his peach as if Shun hadn't been booting him in the leg.

"Eat," Tenten told him.

Shun stuck a piece of fish in his mouth, grimaced then spat it out. Shi stared at his brother with a look on his face similar to Neji's "you're being stupid" look.

"Ew," Shun said.

"You liked tuna yesterday," Tenten muttered.

She didn't have _time_ to make Shun something else. He would have to deal.

"Mom, better?"

Tenten turned and stared at Hizashi. Her oldest boy wore a pair of loose black shorts with a blindingly yellow shirt. His shoes were bright white and he had bright green leg warmers on. Tenten sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Honey, what drawer did you get your shirt from?" Tenten asked.

"Um, oh, oh, whoops," Hizashi said.

Tenten had joked about Hizashi being color blind since he chose the colors for his room. Turns out, he actually was. All he saw were black, white, and shades of gray. They had found this out when testing the twins' ability to name colors. Hizashi would only get the right color when it was spelled out at the bottom.

"Get your dad to help you," Tenten said.

"He's still doing Hatomi's hair," Hizashi said.

Of course he was. Hatomi took forever to decide on an outfit with matching hair style. Tenten turned off all the burners then walked with Hizashi to his room. The room had been repainted to have pale blue walls and dark blue everything else.

Hizashi's dresser drawers weren't exactly organized by item of clothing. No, his clothes were organized by color: red items in one drawer, blue in another, then green, orange, yellow, and purple. Black items hung in the closet while white and gray took up another dresser. Tenten wanted to ditch all of Hizashi's colored clothes since varying shades of gray would always match but Hizashi liked his colored clothes, well the designs on them.

Tenten got Hizashi to take off his leg warmers and shirt then put him in a white tee shirt with a cool swirl design on it in varying shades of gray and gray legwarmers. Hizashi frowned.

"Just cuz I can't see color doesn't mean I don't like it," Hizashi said.

Tenten sighed as he took off his shirt, messing up his butt length hair. The leg warmers came off next and (too much) like her, Hizashi simply tossed the clothes to a side. There were at least six other outfits on the floor. At this rate they would be late.

"Okay,"

Tenten handed him a blue shirt and blue legwarmers. Hizashi smiled at her, not knowing the blues were slightly off in matching but she didn't care. He followed her back out of his room with his brush but she left him to peek in on Hatomi.

Neji's right eyebrow was twitching as he braided Hatomi's hair. She sat on her bed wearing a pair of black tights under a pink skirt. Her shirt was pink with black stripes and Neji had put her hair into a French Braid style at the top. The two braids merged at Hatomi's nape and Neji was finishing it with pink ribbon.

Hatomi thanked her father with a kiss before picking up her pink doll-like shoes and tugging them onto her feet. Neji let out a breath before coming out of the room. Tenten winced when they heard something crash from the kitchen.

"Shun! Why'd you throw your plate at Shi?"

"My carrot!"

"Urg," Hizashi groaned.

"Now he knows what we went through," Neji muttered.

Tenten tried not to laugh, she really did, but she failed. Neji winked at her and they went towards the kitchen with Hatomi following along beside them. Tenten stared at the mess of food on the floor, half covering Shi, and on the table. Shun meant business when he threw his plate.

"Seriously?" Tenten asked.

"I didn't do it. For once," Hizashi said with a grin.

Tenten sighed then shook her head. Hatomi calmly walked deeper into the kitchen, got up on the stool so she could see what was on the counter then finished loading the plate Tenten had started for her. Hizashi shrugged and followed in his sister's example.

"I will take the boys," Neji said.

"You just don't want to deal with the floor,"

"Hn,"

Agreement sound. Tenten swatted him as they headed into the mess. He smirked. She rolled her eyes at him but he set Shi onto one shoulder while he tucked Shun under the opposite arm. Shun giggled and Shi put his hands on his father's head. Neji walked off.

Hatomi and Hizashi were at the table now, eating while Tenten picked up the broken pieces of plate. She still hadn't finished cooking the breakfast she had been trying to make for her and Neji. As big as the stove was they were limited to how much food could be cooked at once what with going between helping the older twins get dressed and the younger ones eat.

"Have kids, they said. It would be fun, they said. It's rewarding, they said,"

Tenten kept scrubbing the floor. Food might have to wait, at least for her and Neji.

"Mom's talking to herself again," Hizashi mentioned.

"I do not blame her," Hatomi said.

Tenten smiled. She finished cleaning the floor to see Neji coming back into the kitchen with Shi cleaned up and Shun hanging out of his arm and as clean as his brother. Both boys still had Tenten's hair but for them it turned to messy curls. Shi had pure white eyes now, exactly like Neji but Shun's eyes had golden tints. If not for their eyes, not even Tenten could tell them apart.

"Dad, mom was talking to herself again," Hizashi said.

"Hn," Neji muttered.

"See, he agrees with me," Hatomi said.

Tenten snickered. Hatomi and Hizashi were adept at figuring out Neji's mono-syllable sounds, Hatomi more so than her brother. Tenten made the mistake of looking at the clock.

"Ah, guys, hurry up or you're going to be late," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

Aggravated sound. Neji could be cranky when he didn't have food in his belly. Tenten almost choked on her laughter when Hizashi shoved enough food in his mouth to go into chipmunk mode. Hatomi raised her eyebrow at her brother, mimicking Neji's "the Hell are you ON?" expression perfectly.

Ever brilliant, Hatomi hopped off her chair and went into one of the lower cupboards to grab a plastic container to put the rest of her breakfast in. Hizashi blinked at her and she snorted at him before gracefully walking towards the door with her container and chopsticks in one hand. Tenten poured green tea into a thermos before taking Shun from Neji and handing Neji the thermos. Neji nodded to her.

"Hn,"

"Now dad's happy," Hizashi said while chewing.

"Do not chew with your mouth full, chipmunk," Neji said.

Hizashi nodded to his father then got off his chair. They would have to leave the dishes. Shun hung from her arm like Hizashi used to while she strode towards the door. She grabbed the stroller before tugging on her shoes one handed. Then she spotted Hizashi's still disastrous hair.

"Hold still, Hizashi," Tenten said.

She offered Neji Shun who gave Hatomi his thermos told hold. Hatomi took the thermos with a raised eyebrow, amused, as Neji took Shun. Tenten ran her fingers through the top of Hizashi's hair, gathered it into a tail then put it into a loose bun in all of five seconds. She tied off the bun with a hair tie she kept on her for the occasions Hizashi wanted to put his hair up.

"But mom," Hizashi whined around the food _still_ in his mouth.

"We don't have time for an actual brush," Tenten said.

She got Shun back and Neji got his thermos back. Tenten put Shun in the stroller then pushed it forward to get her kids out the door. Hatomi opened the door and held it open for everyone. Neji locked the door and Tenten smiled when Hatomi strode to her father's side, holding her container in one hand while she ate demurely with the other.

Hizashi kept to her side while Neji carried Shi on his left shoulder. Shi kept one hand in Neji's hair while the other hung to his side. Shun kicked from the stroller but happily. He liked the stroller while Shi liked to be up high. At least the Academy wasn't far. Still.

Tenten let out a breath when they strode onto the Academy grounds. Boruto waited with his parents and sister. Sakura was trying to fix Sarada's hair. Choji held the hand of Chocho while Karui grinned at her daughter. Shikadai managed to look thoroughly _uninterested_ while Temari scolded him and Shikamaru smirked.

Ino kept kissing Inojin over and over while Sai watched with his head tilted to a side in confusion. Lee was pumping up Metal and Tenten winced. Metal was dressed in green spandex, orange leg warmers and sported a bowl cut. Yusa looked defeated.

"Hey, it's the rabbits," Karui joked.

"Yeah, yeah," Tenten muttered.

"Why are you rabbits?" Hizashi asked.

"Because there are four of you and two of them," Shikamaru answered.

Hatomi snorted. She had given her now empty container to her father to hold. Hatomi crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow to Shikamaru mimicking Neji's "idiot" expression frightfully well.

"Rabbits have litters of one to fourteen and are pregnant for a month," Hatomi said.

Tenten sighed at her daughter. How in the world Hatomi knew about rabbit breeding was beyond Tenten. She did see Shikamaru stare at the little Hyuuga girl.

"And?" Shikamaru said.

"Mother did not pop us all out at once and was not pregnant for a month. There is also too much time between pregnancies so my parents being rabbits is unfounded and untrue," Hatomi said.

Now everyone was staring at her. Hatomi didn't look like she cared. Tenten saw Hizashi looking like he was about to laugh. At least he found his sister amusing. One look at Neji told Tenten Neji was _proud_. Tenten inwardly groaned.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru said.

Hatomi huffed.

"It's a joke, kiddo," Karui said.

"A bad one," Hatomi muttered.

Tenten kept her laugh back at the stunned faces of her friends. They saw Hatomi a few times a week for a few hours a day, _maybe_ and that was when she was playing with the other kids. They didn't live with Neji's princess.

"Told you she was troublesome," Shikadai mumbled.

Shikamaru groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. More kids, civilian kids, started showing up. Tenten ignored her rumbling belly while Neji drank his tea from his thermos. Hatomi stood with Chocho and Sarada while Hizashi, Shikadai, Boruto, Inojin, and Metal stood away from the girls.

"So, you guys having more?" Sakura asked.

"Hell no,"

Tenten looked up at Neji who had synced with her perfectly. It made everyone else laugh. Neji sipped his tea.

"Yeah, I'm so done with raising babies," Tenten said.

"Not for, oh, fifteen years," Temari said.

"I mean _little_ babies. I've got no choice with these four," Tenten said.

"We could leave them on someone's doorstep," Neji offered.

Tenten saw he had a little grin on his face. He was joking. Tenten decided to go along with the joke.

"Or in the forest," Tenten said.

"Hand them off to Guy. He wanted us to have lots of kids,"

"Yeah but then they'd come bug us. Maybe we can give them to Gaara? He seems sad that he doesn't have kids,"

Tenten beamed when the other parents gaped at her. Neji chuckled softly.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru groaned.

"You wouldn't really do any of that, would you?" Sai questioned, unsure.

"Of course not," Tenten said. "Hizashi's our little troublemaker, Hatomi's Neji's princess, Shi's our quiet one, and Shun's our weird one."

This made the others laugh. Shun smiled. Shi blinked.

"Me weird," Shun exclaimed.

"We'll get you a medal later, sweetie," Tenten told him.

"Okay," Shun said.

She ruffled his hair and he giggled at her. Tenten smiled at her friends who simply stared. Someone cleared their throat and Tenten spotted Shino standing by the doors of the Academy.

"Anyone who is testing this year, follow," Shino said.

This said, he turned on his heel and began heading into the Academy. For a moment no one moved. Hatomi hummed then strode forward with a grinning Hizashi on her heels. Boruto, Sarada, Inojin, Chocho, and Shikadai followed though the latter of them was being pulled along by Chocho.

"Oh my Kami," Temari muttered.

" _Shino's_ this year's teacher?" Ino questioned.

"What is wrong with Shino?" Hinata asked.

"Nothing," Neji said. "He will be a good sensei to our children."

Tenten smirked as she followed her husband and Hinata. They all entered into a classroom where the kids were told to pick seats. Hatomi picked front and center with Hizashi beside her. No one else took the front row. Tenten kept her laugh back as she lined up along the walls and blackboard of the classroom with the other parents.

"You will each see a blank sheet of paper with a pencil in front of you," Shino said.

All the kids looked down except Hatomi. She merely raised an eyebrow.

"There are three questions. Answer them incorrectly and you will not move unto the next phase of testing," Shino said.

Mutters of awe from the civilian parents and their kids. Hatomi smirked, similar to the way Neji used to smirk before he got beaten by Naruto. Hizashi huffed. Some of her friend's kids looked nervous or surprised. Not hers. She was proud of that.

"You have fifteen minutes. Begin," Shino said.

Papers flipped over, pencils were taken in hand, and all that could be heard was the sound of pencils scratching across paper. Tenten all ready knew the answers to the questions, or close to them. The written test showed whether or not a child was willing to love the village and help preserve peace and prosperity.

There would be an oral test to see if a child had a mind that would not yield and was able to endure hard work and training. The final test was an obstacle course followed by an eye exam to make sure the kids were healthy in mind and body. So long as Hizashi was allowed to activate his Byakugan, he would be able to see color.

None of her friends knew Hizashi's eyes were the opposite of the typical Hyuuga: able to see in color with the Byakugan but seeing in black and white without it activated. Tenten and Neji had agreed to keep this a secret as had Hatomi. Hizashi didn't want anyone to know either. Besides, color wasn't exactly important on the field, well, unless it came to flares. And if a flare went off then Hizashi could activate his Byakugan and _see_ what was going on.

Muttering brought Tenten out of her thoughts. Hatomi had raised her hand. Tenten saw Shino quirk an eyebrow.

"Yes?" Shino questioned.

"I am finished. Should I bring my test up front or wait?" Hatomi returned.

Silence while all the parents (including friends) and students looked at her in awe.

"Yeah, me too," Hizashi said.

"If you are confident in your answers you may bring them up front. Be sure your names are on them," Shino said.

Hatomi gave Shino a look which made to ask Shino if she was really so stupid as to forget her name. Hizashi scribbled down his name before following his sister to the front. They had taken five minutes. Shino took both papers but motioned for her twins to stay up front.

"Hyuuga Hatomi, Hyuuga Hizashi," Shino said.

More silence and Tenten held back the urge to bite her lip. She saw Neji had stiffened beside her. Hell, even Shi sat straighter on Neji's shoulder. Shun was playing with his shirt.

"You both pass with perfect scores," Shino said.

Tenten let out a breath. She saw Neji do the same. Shi nodded and Tenten almost started laughing.

"Neji, Tenten, you may take them to classroom 3B for the oral test," Shino said.

Tenten grinned as she walked out of the room with Neji at her side. Hatomi walked beside Neji while Hizashi took Tenten's other side. Neji shut the door behind them and Tenten stopped long enough to pull Hatomi and Hizashi into a hug. Hizashi hugged her back, hard, but Hatomi hummed in annoyance. She did accept her father's one armed hug much better. Tenten rolled her eyes at her daughter.

They strode a little ways down the hallway. Neji opened the room to 3B and Tenten felt her heart leap into her throat when she spotted Ibiki at the front of the classroom. Well crap. Hatomi looked up at her father. He shook his head at her.

"We are not allowed to observe this test," Neji said.

"Hn," Hatomi muttered.

Her curious sound. Tenten kept her laugh back as Hatomi walked into the room with Hizashi on her heels. Sometimes Tenten thought Hatomi should have been born first.

Neji shut the door and let out a long breath which made Tenten stop thinking of her children's birth order. Tenten bit her lip and met Neji's eyes. He was worried but Tenten didn't blame him. She did wonder who was in room 3A and 3C if Ibiki was in room 3B.

Time passed and Boruto came out of the classroom to head towards room 3C. Naruto and Hinata took up places near Neji and Tenten and they all waited.

"Who's in 3C?" Tenten questioned.

"Anko," Hinata said.

"Ibiki," Neji remarked.

Naruto winced. Hinata bit her lip. Tenten sighed. Sakura came out with Sarada who went into room 3A.

"Genma," Sakura said.

"Anko," Naruto said.

"Ibiki," Tenten said.

Sakura cringed. Inojin was next and was told by his mother to wait his turn in front of room 3A. Chocho got room 3C. Metal stood behind Inojin. Civilian children lined up behind Metal or Chocho but no one else got room 3B until Shikadai came strolling out of the classroom. Shikadai scowled as did Shikamaru when they saw how uneven the lines were.

"Ibiki's in that one, huh?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes," Neji said.

Tenten tried not to shuffle from foot to foot or bring out a kunai to play with. Her kids had been in the room alone with Ibiki for twenty minutes now. No sound issued forth from the room but Tenten knew they were made soundproof with jutsu before the test. The room to 3C opened and Boruto walked out looking pale and shaking slightly. He accepted his mother's hug when he got close enough while Chocho gulped before walking into the room.

"I passed and have to go to the training field for two," Boruto said.

"All right, almost in now," Naruto said.

Boruto smiled but Tenten could tell the little boy was still shook up. She would gnaw her lip right off if her twins didn't come out of the room soon. She saw Neji had taken to lightly tapping his thermos with his index finger. Shi sensed the nervousness and patted his father's head. Shun was oblivious as he played with his feet.

Sarada came out of 3A while biting her lip and sweating a bit. She passed too but stayed with the others to wait for the rest of her friends. Inojin was all ready in the room. Tenten glanced at the clock to see it was ten minutes to ten. They had been alone with Ibiki for almost half an hour.

Ten o'clock came and Tenten wanted to pace. Ten fifteen came which allowed Chocho to switch with some civilian kid and Tenten wanted to scream. Ten twenty came where Metal switched with Inojin and Tenten wanted to start kicking down the door. She saw Neji was clenching his now empty thermos by the top so hard his knuckles had started to go white. So far, everyone's kids would have to be on the training field for two.

The door to room 3B opened and Tenten almost fell over in relief. She kept to her feet as Hatomi walked out of the room with Hizashi beside her. Hizashi looked ready to faint but Hatomi didn't look the least bit concerned.

"I enjoyed our conversation Ibiki-sama," Hatomi said as she turned to face the room and bowed.

She smirked at Shikadai who gaped as Hatomi strode towards her and Neji. Tenten wrapped an arm around Hizashi when he put his head on her stomach. Neji blinked at Hatomi who wrapped one hand around her father's wrist.

"We must be at the training field for two so we have time to go home and eat," Hatomi said.

Right. Food. Now that her kids were back she could think about being hungry. Tenten nodded at her daughter then put a smile on her face. Hatomi said her good bye sentiments to her friends as she walked away with Neji staring at her with a little smile and his eyebrow up a centimeter.

The walk back home took little time. Tenten warmed up the half cooked food in the pots and pans as Neji went about helping Hizashi brush out his hair properly. Once Hizashi's hair fell down his back in a beautiful mass of brown locks, Neji came over to the stove area to help Tenten.

Hatomi watched Shun and Shi with hawk-like eyes as the two boys played in the living room. Lunch wasn't as hectic as breakfast because all of her kids were clean, dressed, and tidy. Shun screwed this up by dropping his cup of juice all over his high chair top then splashing it. Shi got hit as did Neji.

"Hn,"

Weary sound. Tenten went about cleaning the floor (again) while Neji washed himself, Shi, and Shun up. They had enough time to finish lunch then let Shun run around outside before heading back to the Academy for two. Tenten stood with her friends at the edge of the training field as Hatomi led the way to the other kids in the middle of the field surrounding Shino.

"Uh, why are Shi and Shun in different outfits?" Temari asked.

"Juice," Neji said.

"Uh?" Naruto asked.

"Shun splattered his sippy cup into his tray then splashed the juice around," Tenten explained.

"Oh,"

Tenten didn't care who said it. The kids were told to take up a push-up position and do as many as they could for a minute. Once the minute was up, Shino told four civilian children they needed to do better or they wouldn't get in.

Chin ups took out two civilians. Five laps later and four more civilian kids were gone. Metal looked _bored_ as they did a balance test. Hatomi showed off by balancing on the tips of her toes. Five more civilian kids dropped leaving a count of sixty-seven.

"Aim," Shino said.

Tenten grinned as groups of ten kids were brought to stand in front of ten targets to toss weapons a distance of ten yards. Kids got to choose between a kunai, a senbon, or a shuriken. Most picked the kunai as it was the easiest to train first timers with. Tenten saw Neji smirk when their twins came up in the second group.

Everyone muttered when Hizashi picked up all three weapons in _both_ hands. Shino didn't get a chance to say go before Hizashi turned and hit dead center of six different targets from a distance of a little over ten yards. Hizashi walked away whistling.

"Well he got your aim," Temari muttered.

Hatomi scowled at her brother. She didn't grab up weapons in her hands like Hizashi and waited with the other eight kids. Her kunai was off by an inch and Hatomi glared at it. A total of seven kids were dropped after the aim test. It left a class of sixty children which was about average.

"And she got Neji's aim," Karui said.

"Hn,"

Eye tests and brief physicals were next. Shino made Hatomi and Hizashi do the physical first before the non-Byakugan eye test. Tenten saw Neji breath a little sigh of relief with her when they didn't test if a kid could see colors. All sixty kids passed the physicals and eye tests.

"For those who passed and who do not have a kekkei genkai: I will see you tomorrow at eight in the morning. For those who _have_ a kekkei genkai: there is one final test," Shino said.

The civilian children walked off happily. Boruto huffed but walked over to them all with Sarada and Metal on his heels. Shino stared down Shikadai, Inojin, Chocho, Hatomi, and Hizashi.

"Nara Shikadai, let me see your shadows," Shino said.

"Troublesome," Shikadai muttered.

He formed the rat hand seal regardless and shadows gathered around the little boy's feet. They stretched out and converged with Shino's shadow. Shikadai lifted his right as if raising his hand but Shino's arm moved a few inches.

"Good," Shino said.

Shikadai yawned as he dropped the technique and strode over to the group. Shikamaru patted his son's shoulder while Boruto looked at his friend in a new light. Metal was happily congratulating Shikadai while Sarada beamed at the Nara. Shikadai ignored all three.

"Yamanaka Inojin,"

Inojin summoned an ink rat which disappeared after a minute. He did the hand seal for the Mind Transfer Technique but fell over.

"Good. Akimichi Chocho,"

Chocho expanded well enough for a six year old. She was passed and joined everyone else with a smile. Tenten watched as Hatomi and Hizashi activated Byakugan without prompting.

"You should be able to see various objects buried in the field around you in two lines. Hatomi, name the ones to your left. Hizashi, once she is finished, you will name the ones to the right," Shino said.

Both nodded in sync. Tenten kept back a laugh.

"Bell, block, pencil, eraser, and bottle cap," Hatomi said.

Shino's eyebrow came up.

"Fifty meters?" Hatomi questioned.

"Yes," Shino said.

Hatomi nodded as the veins around her eyes faded. She had a prideful smirk on her face. Tenten wanted to groan when she saw Neji had the same expression on his face.

"Woah," Naruto muttered.

"Hizashi," Shino said.

"Ball, pencil, cup, bell, and eraser," Hizashi said.

Shino nodded. Hizashi's Byakugan deactivated and the two walked over, Hizashi with a smile and Hatomi with a neutral expression on her face. Neji placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder and Tenten pulled Hizashi into a hug he complained about.

"That is all," Shino said.

"Bye Shino-sensei," Hizashi said as they walked away.

Tenten tried not to think of how _weird_ that sounded and saw the others had various expressions of concealing weirdness too. The kids led the way, chattering about how awesome it was they were all in the same class and how cool it was Hatomi and Hizashi could see through things. Boruto scowled at the discussion of Byakugan.

"Hey wait, your mom has white eyes, Boruto so," Chocho started.

She stopped when the blond glared.

"I didn't get it," Boruto said.

"Oh, um, why?" Chocho asked.

Choji smacked his forehead with a groan. Naruto and Hinata deadpanned. Neji let out a little cough and Tenten wished home was a _bit_ closer so they could escape.

"Simple genetics," Hatomi said. "Boruto comes from two people with extremely powerful genetic characteristics which canceled each other out while my father's genes are a little stronger than my mother's. It is why Hizashi and I have Byakugan but Boruto does not."

Boruto gaped. Hatomi shrugged as she strode forward. Tenten wanted to laugh at the looks of awe on her friend's faces.

"Why are you teaching her about genetics?" Temari asked.

"We're not. She got into Neji's books again, that's all," Tenten said.

"I _like_ reading," Hatomi said, throwing a glare over her shoulder at Temari.

Temari grinned. Hatomi huffed then looked forward again. Tenten was glad to see they would have to turn right to head home.

"Well, see you guys later," Tenten said.

More parting sentiments were exchanged as Hizashi ran slightly ahead of her, Hatomi, and Neji to get back home. Tenten watched Hizashi and Hatomi walk a bit ahead of them with a smile on her face. Okay, maybe she was proud of her geniuses.

 _Two Years Later_

"Byakugan!"

Tenten watched as Hizashi and Hatomi activated their kekkei genkai. Her geniuses were training together as they always did after spending the day in the Academy. Hatomi thought the Academy was boring. Hizashi goofed off as much as he could without being expelled, much like Boruto.

Tenten grinned as Hatomi fell into a Gentle Fist attack stance while Hizashi, well, he summoned forth a Bo and took up a stance _she_ had taught him. Neji chuckled as the duo raced forward to attack each other. Hatomi deflected Hizashi's Bo with Gentle Fist while Hizashi repelled Hatomi's Gentle Fist with his Bo. Now Tenten knew why everyone thought her and Neji sparring was so cool.

She looked to her other kids and almost laughed. Shi sat on the swing, not moving but watching his older siblings from a safe distance with his Byakugan activated. Shun ignored his siblings, happily playing in the sand box while Hatomi and Hizashi squared off in the middle of the grass. They were at a stalemate but Tenten knew they would remain at the stalemate for at least an hour or two.

Tenten had _finally_ convinced Hizashi to get his hair trimmed as it had ridiculously grown to almost his knees. Now it hung to his waist. Hatomi's hair hung to under her butt still since even Neji couldn't convince his princess to trim it to a more manageable length.

Shi liked his hair a few inches long while Shun didn't care so long as it wasn't in his way. Shi and Shun were in their own rooms now, Shi in what used to be the nursery while Shun took the room beside Hizashi. Hizashi had started to realize how stupid he had been in letting Hatomi take the room across from the bathroom. It meant she got to it quicker in the morning and he was forced to wait, normally banging on the door and telling her to hurry up.

It would be around this time Neji would tell his son to use their en suite and Hizashi would run through her and Neji's room then hog _their_ bathroom for fifteen minutes. Tenten was seriously thinking of turning the laundry room into a third bathroom so everyone had time to get ready in the morning.

"So, who's winning?" Tenten asked.

"Neither," Neji replied.

His Byakugan was activated as he watched their kids spar. Tenten had to admit it looked freaking awesome. Both were as agile and flexible as cats though Hatomi was a bit quicker than her brother. Hizashi had gained an inch of height and ten pounds of weight on Hatomi so he was stronger then again, Hatomi tended to be slightly more flexible. Hizashi made up for it by being unconventional.

"Ah, Hatomi cut off some tenketsu in Hizashi's right arm," Neji said.

Tenten winced. Hizashi had a scowl on his face now while Hatomi smiled softly. Her long hair was braided in a French Braid style up top then combined into one braid down her pale pink dress. Under the dress she wore black leggings and had a black obi around her waist.

Hizashi wore black shorts, a pale blue tee-shirt similar to Neji's old genin shirt, and blue leg warmers. He kept his long hair in a high pony tail though some hair had started to fall out of the pony tail to frame his face well. Both her kids would be heart breakers.

Tenten grinned when Hizashi got a hit in, whacking Hatomi hard in the left thigh. Hatomi cringed but didn't back down. Tenten and Neji were always full of stamina which was given to their kids. It was why Hizashi and Hatomi sparred for two hours after being set free from the Academy then wanted to be trained after dinner as well.

Tenten would always train with Hizashi while Neji trained with Hatomi. Tenten found it hilarious her son loved weapons as much as she did while Neji's Princess preferred the Gentle Fist fighting style. Even so, Hizashi had learned the basics of Gentle Fist as Hatomi learned the basics of weapons. Hizashi could seal like Tenten where Hatomi couldn't.

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

Tenten raised an eyebrow as Hatomi fell into a _frightfully_ familiar fighting stance. She saw Neji frown slightly as both his eyebrows came up. Oh, so he _hadn't_ taught her the technique.

"Two strikes!"

Hatomi hit Hizashi's chest with both hands at the same time. Hizashi grimaced.

"Four strikes!"

Neji's frown deepened as Hatomi struck her brother four times. Tenten bit her lip. Hizashi swung his Bo around but Hatomi was quicker.

"Eight strikes!"

Hizashi dropped his Bo. Shi sat stiffly on the swing and Hell, even Shun gaped in wonder. Hatomi kept moving.

"Sixteen strikes!"

Tenten glanced to Neji who was getting to his feet.

"Thirty-two strikes!"

Hatomi hit the last in this series then went to her knees, panting and obviously drained. Hizashi stumbled backwards, landing on his ass then lying out on the grass spread-eagled and panting. Tenten stood as Neji strode towards Hatomi. Tenten sat beside Hizashi a moment later and he smiled at her.

"You okay?" Tenten questioned.

"Uh-huh," Hizashi said.

"When did you pick that up?" Neji asked Hatomi.

"You, mother, sparring, weekend," Hatomi said between gasps.

Tenten froze. Yeah, she and Neji had sparred this past weekend and yeah, Neji had used his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. Hatomi had seen the attack _once_. Then again she was _Neji's_ daughter.

"Hn," Neji said.

His impressed sound. Hatomi smiled at her father and he pushed some of the bangs out of her face. Tenten helped Hizashi to his feet and he shook himself like a dog.

"Can I learn that?" Hizashi asked.

"Of course. I will teach you both the proper technique after dinner," Neji said.

"Awesome," Hizashi said.

"Thank you, father," Hatomi said.

Tenten snickered at her kids. They were done sparring for the afternoon and they knew it. Hatomi went to meditate under the tree while Hizashi went to lie near the sandbox on his side, watching Shun build a lopsided castle. Tenten tried not to think about how Shun might not get the chance to go to the Academy like his siblings.

Shun couldn't process a lot of things. The difference between similar letters like 'b' and 'd' didn't register. He couldn't recall stuff he had seen a lot of times like learning what a cat looked like or what a dog looked like. He couldn't recognize a word if it was missing a letter and didn't realize what was missing in a drawing of a person's face if said drawing didn't have a nose or something similar. He also mixed up his letters a lot of the times switching their order around but to him it looked right.

Sakura said it was dyslexia and a combination of visual processing issues. Tenten wanted to see the irony in a potential Byakugan user having visual processing issues but couldn't. There was no cure for Shun's problems or Hizashi's color blindness.

"Stop looking so sad," Neji said gently.

"Sorry," Tenten muttered.

Shun had been diagnosed last week. It was hard _not_ to think one of her four kids was so messed up he would never get the chance to be a shinobi. She felt like she had somehow failed Neji.

"I assume it cannot be helped," Neji said.

She watched him as he peered at Shun making his lopsided castle. She let out a breath. Neji shook his head but turned to smile at her softly.

"He will be fine. He is our child after all," Neji said.

Tenten grinned. Hizashi worked through his issues with a bit of modification to his routines so Shun would too.

* * *

Tenten patted her damp face dry before tossing the towel into the hamper. She leaned forward on the vanity to stare deeply at her reflection. For twenty-nine, she didn't look bad. Sure she had a few fine lines under her eyes and her laugh lines were deeper than they had been five years ago.

Her hair had started to thin out a bit, nothing noticeable to anyone but her or maybe Neji but she didn't have bald spots. Her boobs were still perky, her tummy toned, and her hips nicely shaped. Yeah, maybe she had stretch marks across the sides of her stomach and on her breasts but damn it, she had a mother's body.

Tenten smiled at her reflection before stepping out of the bathroom. She made it half a step into her bedroom then stilled in wonder.

Neji knelt naked on the bed, facing her, with his hands behind his back and their _special_ scroll unravelled at the foot of the bed. He had closed the curtains and turned on both bedside lamps. Their door was shut tight and Tenten spotted a trap across the handle. He had even set out a hair tie and a brush in front of him.

"Mistress?" Neji questioned, tilting his head to one side in question.

She was soaking through her panties. They hadn't been able to have this kind of sex since before Hizashi and Hatomi were born. Now though, all their kids slept through the night and for once, she and Neji weren't completely exhausted by any of them.

Tenten slipped out of her pyjama top, really one of Neji's old shirts, and let it fall to the floor. He smiled at her and Tenten returned the grin. She wore nothing but her wet panties as she headed towards the bed. Tenten crawled in behind her husband and began brushing his hair. Neji leaned into her touch, humming gently and closing his white eyes.

Tenten grinned as she brushed his hair, still so thick, shiny, and beautiful after all these years. It flowed through her fingers like silk and she had forgotten what it felt like to brush out his hair like this what with raising their kids. She studied his body in the lamp light and smiled.

Neji's muscles were still as defined as they had been almost nine years ago. Sure he still had scars from the fight with Kidomaru and the Fourth Shinobi War but these had faded. He wasn't sagging anywhere funny and he had _barely_ gained any wrinkles on his face. It might be her personal opinion but Neji looked the best out of the men in her generation of shinobi.

Tenten began braiding his hair and he purred. She got to the end of the braid, tied it off then backhanded him across the ass. Neji jolted but Tenten saw his hard cock twitch. She pulled him backwards by the braid but he went happily. She kissed his cheek.

"What do you want?" Tenten asked.

Neji bit his lip as he met her eyes. She smiled as he considered.

"My collar, the cuffs, anal beads, nipple clamps, whip, and to feast on you, Mistress," Neji said.

Tenten had to take a deep breath to control her pounding heart at Neji's words. She nodded and went to their scroll. Tenten smiled as she took up the collar in her hands. The leather felt great in her hands and she wasted little time in taking out the rest of the items Neji wanted, grinning as each was revealed.

Tenten kissed Neji full on the lips before putting his collar on. Neji shivered under her touch, chest heaving and cock twitching. She restrained his wrists next, pulling them tight and he groaned happily. The nipple clamps with their chain were next and Tenten saw Neji's cheeks were stained deep pink.

"Make this easy on me," Tenten said.

Neji smiled as he leaned forward and spread his cheeks with his hands. Tenten got a new bottle of lube from their dresser drawer then brought forth the leather glove. Neji trembled, moaning in adore, when she touched his ass with her leather and lubed digit. She pursed her lips as she worked her finger into his _tight_ hole. Kami, she hadn't penetrated him like this in years. She had missed it.

Neji bucked his hips towards her, letting out little grunts of passion with every backwards thrust. She lubed him up quickly but carefully before wetting the smallest of the anal beads and pressing them against his hole. Neji sighed blissfully as she worked the entire string of beads into his ass.

When she was finished, Neji panted heavily, sweat soaking his back, chest, forehead and even the backs of her legs. Hell, her panties were a lost cause at this point as her juices were seeping down her inner thighs.

Tenten let out a breath before pulling off the glove and putting it on a towel on her night side table. The panties came off and she winked at Neji before tossing them to the floor. She took her whip with her then leaned against the headboard, spreading her legs.

Neji didn't move right away so Tenten grabbed his leash and pulled. Neji shifted towards her, smiling but a moment later his smile disappeared between her legs. Tenten let out a strangled yell as his tongue lapped against her folds. _Shit!_

"I won't last long," Tenten said.

The whip smacked against his ass. Neji jolted forward and hummed into her. He moved to suck on her clit. She got another flick of her wrist in but had to drop her whip to tangle her hands in Neji's hair. Fuck, she wouldn't last another minute.

"N-n-ne-Neji!"

Tenten gripped his hair hard as she released. Neji kept licking her, rubbing his nose against her clit and shifting his chin against her. She trembled as her high came again then exploded in a mini orgasm after her big one. Tenten had to pull back his head to get him to stop.

Neji's white eyes were half closed, nose and chin soaked with her juices, and his lips plump and pink. Tenten grinned when he licked his lips, slowly. He winked. She snorted at him before rubbing her thumb over his wet nose.

"Proud of yourself?"

"Yes Mistress,"

"Sorry I didn't tug on your nipples,"

"It's fine, Mistress. I enjoyed it,"

Neji kept the smile on his face. Tenten put a hand under his chin and pushed up. He knelt in front of her, head tilted to one side, and waited for further instruction. His cock was deep pink, almost red at the tip, and soaked with precum.

"How would you like to cum?" Tenten asked.

Neji bit his lip. A flush came to his cheeks and he shifted. Tenten waited with a grin.

"The strap on please, Mistress," Neji admitted.

Nope, he hadn't developed a dislike of their toys. Tenten nodded before shifting around him to bring forth the strap on. She harnessed it on quickly then pushed his shoulders. Neji easily shifted his upper body down and raised his thighs off his calves so his ass was high in the air. Tenten pulled the anal beads out slowly, rolling them around in his ass as she did which made him quiver under her.

He shouted into the mattress when she thrust the dildo into him an instant after the last bead popped out. Tenten rubbed his hips and he pushed backwards into her. Tenten rammed into him and Neji's shoulders rolled back in passion. He wouldn't last.

"Come when you need, don't worry about me," Tenten said.

Two thrusts later and he let out a release groan. Neji's entire body shook as he came down from the high and Tenten rubbed his back, hips, and ass as he tried in vain to control his breathing. Tenten didn't care she hadn't cum this last time. So long as Neji was okay, she was fine.

"Need to lie down?" Tenten questioned.

"Yes, Mistress," Neji panted.

Tenten pulled out of him and helped him shift onto his side. She lay out in front of him, the dildo rubbing against his cock and he chuckled. Tenten ran a hand over his hair as Neji slowly caught his breath.

"I missed this," Neji said.

"Me too,"

Tenten kissed him, full on the lips, and won the battle of dominance. Neji always let her win their battles when he was trussed. She didn't mind. She pulled back from the kiss and planted one on his forehead. Neji kissed the tip of her nose in return.

"You comfortable?" Tenten asked.

"Yes Mistress, thank you for asking," Neji said.

He smiled his "we just had _amazing_ kinky sex" smile and his eyes were glazed over from passion. Tenten traced a finger along the lines of his face, running along his jaw, over a cheek bone, and over his nose. Neji said nothing but watched her.

"Want me to give you a hand job?" Tenten questioned.

"If you wish to, Mistress,"

Neji had shifted forward a bit in anticipation. Tenten chuckled at the fact even after almost nine years, he hadn't forgotten their routine. She took his cock into her hands, pulling the dildo in as well and Neji gasped. He groaned, closing his eyes as she started pumping both him and the dildo in her hands.

He became hard within a few tugs. He started panting five more tugs later. Tenten watched Neji's muscles tense as he bit his lip to try to hold on as long as he could. Tenten pumped him faster, tightening her grip a bit and he whimpered in pleasure.

"Come on, baby, let it out," Tenten said.

Neji hummed, still resisting. Tenten grinned.

"I wanna feel your hot cum explode over my hands,"

Neji moaned low in his throat, still biting his lip. His cheeks were pink and sweat rolled down his forehead and into his hair.

"Come on, baby, I want to hear you scream my name,"

Neji gave up. He didn't scream her name but he did burst over her hands, the bedding, and the dildo, trembling as he did and almost choking on spit because he gasped so hard. Tenten kept pumping until he was finished releasing and watched as he came down from the high.

His eyes opened and Tenten smiled. She raised one hand, drenched in his cum, to her lips and began licking off his cum. Neji watched her, white eyes focused on her tongue as he kept breathing heavily through his parted pink mouth. Tenten finished licking the cum off her hand and gave him a wink.

"Still comfy?"

"Yes Mistress,"

No other words were needed. She ran her hand over his hair as they stared into each other's eyes, grinning as they did. After a while, she took off the collar, nipple clamps, and cuffs then took their toys into their en suite. Neji followed, helping her wash the dildo, anal beads and gloves. Everything was put away into the scroll which was locked into their box and put back under their bed. Tenten giggled when Neji slipped into bed, still naked. She took his trap off their door and followed him, nude, into bed. It had been an awesome night.

* * *

"They're still asleep,"

"Hn,"

"Should we wake them up?"

"We should as they would be furious if we used the stove without their supervision. We do eventually need to eat,"

"Yeah, you're right. At least it's the weekend,"

"Hn,"

Tenten cracked an eye open to see Hizashi grinning at her while Hatomi had her arms crossed over her chest and one eyebrow raised. Both were clean and dressed: Hatomi in a purple dress, black tights, and a black obi with her hair in a side-braid tied off with a purple ribbon while Hizashi wore gray shorts, a bright orange shirt and orange leg warmers. His hair was tied in a low side pony tail.

Tenten glanced to Neji who had his eyes closed. She knew he wasn't asleep because his breath wasn't as deep as it normally was in slumber. One of his hands cupped her breast while his arm sort of covered the other. At least their lower halves were covered by blankets.

"Morning, mom," Hizashi said.

"Morning," Tenten returned.

"Father, stop pretending to sleep," Hatomi said.

"Hn," Neji muttered.

His grumpy sound. Tenten giggled at him. He squeezed her breast so she gasped then swatted his ass. Neji grunted and one eyebrow came up in question. He didn't open his eyes.

"Are Shi and Shun awake?" Neji questioned.

His groggy voice made her damp. She grinned as he lifted his head off the pillow and half opened his eyes to stare at Hizashi and Hatomi. Tenten looked at her eldest kids and waited.

"Shi is playing in the living room while Shun slumbers," Hatomi said.

Shun would sleep all day if allowed. Hell, she wanted to stay (naked) in bed all day with her (nude) husband. But she and Neji had kids to feed. At least three of the four were awake, washed, and dressed.

"Why is your hair braided, father?" Hatomi asked.

"More importantly: why are you guys naked?" Hizashi questioned.

Tenten felt Neji stiffen and not in a good way. Leave it to Hizashi to ask the awkward question. She coughed and ignored the heat in her cheeks. Neji hummed and sat up, putting the covers over her chest and keeping his groin covered as he moved.

"As much as you both dislike this response: you will learn when you are older," Neji said.

Hatomi rolled her eyes while Hizashi groaned. Tenten giggled when Neji smirked.

"Now, leave our room so we can get ready for the day. We will be out in ten minutes," Neji said.

Hizashi muttered something about sleeping naked before turning on his heel and heading for the door. Hatomi gave an 'hn' before following her brother out. She closed the door delicately. Tenten laughed as Neji sighed and ran a hand over his still braided hair.

Tenten grinned as Neji got out of bed. She watched as he strode nude towards their bathroom, butt wiggling nicely as he moved, muscles coiling and uncoiling wonderfully, and braided hair swinging at his squeezable butt.

"You know, we _should_ shower together," Neji said.

Tenten didn't need him to suggest it twice.

* * *

"That was longer than ten minutes,"

Hatomi did not look impressed after her pronouncement. Her arms were crossed over her chest still and she had added a glare to her posture. Okay, so she and Neji had gotten a bit frisky in the shower before making a mess of a towel drying off then finally getting dressed. They hadn't even made the bed or bothered to change the sheets on it yet.

"Yeah, I'm starving and it's like ten thirty," Hizashi said.

Holy crap. It was ten thirty. Tenten jolted when something pulled on her shorts. She looked down to see Shun staring up at her.

"Hungry mommy," Shun said.

"We get it, jeez," Tenten said.

Neji chuckled but they were making, well, brunch, a few minutes later. Tenten spotted the table had all ready been set and wanted to laugh. She concentrated on cooking instead. By eleven, food was on the table and her kids gave thanks before digging in.

Shi, like his older sister, ate primly. Shun shoved food into his mouth like his older brother. Tenten grinned at her kids as they ate. When their initial hunger had been sated, Hizashi and Hatomi looked at her and Neji.

"So, why'd you guys sleep in?" Hizashi asked.

"Because it's the weekend and we wanted to for once," Tenten replied.

"Hn, you _could have_ prepared us for this odd behavior last night," Hatomi said.

Tenten didn't know whether to laugh or be annoyed she was being lectured by her eight year old daughter. Tenten decided she didn't care. She and Neji had _awesome_ kinky sex last night. Nothing could bring down her mood.

"We will try to schedule our breaks around your expectations next time," Neji said.

Tenten almost spat out her tea at his obvious sarcasm complete with one eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face. Hatomi's eyes went wide, her lips parted, and she dropped her tuna into her plate. Hizashi gaped as well then looked to his sister for advice. Seeing she was as awed as he was, he stared at Neji. Tenten kept her laugh back.

"Dad used sarcasm. It was weird and really effective," Hizashi said.

"Hn," Hatomi muttered.

A combination amused, confused, and slightly affronted sound. Tenten laughed. Neji kept smirking but nodded to his children. Shi watched with wide eyes but the conversation was a bit lost on Shun.

"Seriously though, we weren't expecting to sleep in either," Tenten said.

"Oh," Hizashi said.

He looked like he wanted to say more. Tenten saw Neji sigh.

"Adult stuff," Neji muttered.

"Oh?" Hizashi questioned.

"Again: when you're older," Tenten said.

Hizashi pouted. Hatomi snorted. Shi went back to his food but kept staring at his father as if wondering what new creature Neji was. Shun chewed happily on his grilled tuna.

"I assume we will being having dinner early?" Hatomi asked.

"Eh, we'll see how afternoon training goes," Tenten replied.

Hatomi nodded, satisfied. Tenten glanced to Neji who winked. Tenten kept her laugh back and continued to eat. No matter what happened today, it would be awesome. Tenten had never though using their scroll would make her so happy but she would make sure it got regular use. With four kids, they needed an escape.

* * *

Yeah, Hatomi's basically a female Neji while Hizashi's kind of the male Tenten. Why is Hizashi color blind and why does Shun have issues with visual processing? Because not everyone can have perfect kids.

Reviews welcome.


	15. Mission

**Mission**

 **Author's note:** Time skipping and what not. Again, not sure how long I'll take this thing, maybe up until Chunin exams or something, whatever. No, I'm not following the Boruto movie or Sarada manga chapter or _anything_ canon for that matter. It's obvious cuz Neji's, you know _alive._ We get Hatomi's PoV in this and it will come up in later chapters because some of the loose things I have planned need her eyes instead of Tenten's.

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

THANK YOU for all the reviews. I love you all. *beams* Again, chapter a day blah, blah, NaNoWriMo, blah. *winks*

* * *

Tenten watched as Hizashi stood in his bathing suit which consisted of black shorts. His long hair was tied in a low pony tail and he wore black sandals on his feet as he balanced on the rocks. He held a massive scroll in his hands, opened, as she had all those years ago, and stood facing the ocean.

Tenten stood a bit behind him, well out of the way of any wave which would hit wearing her red bikini and a black semi-sheer wrap around her waist. Her hair was braided into one braid down her back as she watched her son wait for the wave to come towards him.

Okay, so he was ten and trying this trick when she had been fifteen. Hizashi _was_ a Hyuuga though, as bright as his sister but didn't like to show it. He hadn't mastered Twin Rising Dragons yet but he was damned close. He wanted to try something bigger though so Tenten figured why the Hell not? They were spending the day at the beach anyway.

A wave crashed and Hizashi lifted his scroll towards it but ended up soaked with no water in his scroll. Hizashi shook like a dog, wet hair sticking to his back, chest, and arms but Tenten grinned at him. She looked to her left and could _just_ make out the figures of Neji, Hatomi, Shi, and Shun at the shore.

Shun would be building a castle complete with moat while Shi sat near his brother, not helping unless Shun asked. Hatomi enjoyed standing to her waist in the water or swimming leisurely out a little before returning to stand and soak up the sun. Neji would stand somewhat in the middle of them all, watching.

Another wave crashed but this time Hizashi fell off the rocks. He caught his body before smashing his head off a rock then sat while the waves receded. He had been trying for half a day so far and looked exhausted.

"Come on, let's go see what everyone else is up to," Tenten said.

"But mom, I can so do this," Hizashi said.

Tenten smiled at her soaked son. His eyebrows were furrowed with his lips turned down in a little frown, determined. Tenten helped him to his feet.

"I know you can, eventually, and we'll come back when you're not low on chakra. You know it takes a lot and you're almost at your limit," Tenten told him.

Hizashi sighed but nodded. It took both of them to roll up the scroll but he carried it down the rocks and towards the rest of the family. Tenten kept a hand on his shoulder as he kept his eyes downcast, scowling at the sand, as he trudged along.

"Hey, it took me a week to seal the ocean," Tenten said.

Hizashi lifted his head at this and his golden eyes went wide. She nodded. He grinned. Tenten smiled when he ran the rest of the way to his brothers, father, and sister. Hizashi flipped onto his back on his beach blanket while Neji raised an eyebrow at him.

Tenten shook her head when Neji met her eyes across the distance. Neji inclined his head before looking up to watch Hatomi. Tenten shifted to watch Hatomi standing in the water, to waist height again, wearing a blue bathing suit. The bottoms were small shorts while the top was a band across her small nubs that had a neck coming off the middle front. The bottom of the top went half way down her stomach which left her covered enough for Neji but exposed enough for her.

Tenten didn't blame Neji in being protective of Hatomi. Their daughter was mainly made up of long, toned legs, a small trim waist, and long arms ending with delicate hands. Thick, shiny, dark brown hair trailed down Hatomi's back in a single plait and flitted in the water as it hung to a little past her butt.

High cheek bones, long regal nose, wide bright golden eyes, elegant and delicate eyebrows, with a soft jaw line and Tenten's heart-shaped full lips gave Hatomi an elegant but gorgeous look and she wasn't fully developed yet. Tenten spotted a group of boys around Hatomi's age or a bit older staring at Hatomi with grins. Tenten tried not to laugh at the fact Hatomi had fan-boys but couldn't help it most days.

It hadn't taken them long to figure out Hatomi had a harem of males who started following her this year. They were mostly Academy kids either a year or two younger, the same age, or a little older. Hatomi, like Neji during his Academy days, completely ignored the boys who stared after her.

Hizashi had his trail of fan-girls as well but unlike his sister, he looked at them curiously until they giggled and ran off. Hizashi would then shrug, scratch the back of his head, and catch up to his sister. Tenten settled on the beach towel she and Neji would share and he sat beside her after a moment.

Hizashi got to his feet then rushed into the water with a whoop. Hatomi watched him, a little smile on her face and one eyebrow raised. Tenten leaned back so her upper body was supported upright by her hands and let out a happy breath.

"Is it sad I wish they were still like, six or seven?" Tenten asked.

"No," Neji said.

"Yes," Shi muttered.

Tenten snorted at her other son. Shi's short choppy brown hair waved around his head in the light breeze but he didn't look like he cared too much. Shun's hair was long enough to put in a short tail but Shun concentrated more on the castle he built. Shun had failed Shinobi Academy testing while Shi passed. Shun had told Shi to go ahead with being a shinobi while Shun went into the civilian Academy.

Tenten hated it. Neji had scowled at it but their second set of twins separated for the first time since they were born. They all pretended to ignore the whispers of civilians as it was pretty damned obvious where Shun went to school, white eyes or not.

One of these days either Hatomi or Hizashi would stick up for their younger brother. The two had oodles of patience thanks to her and Neji though so it might take a few more years. Shi let it roll off him like it didn't affect him but Tenten could tell Shi didn't like going to a "better" Academy. Shun was upset about it too but there was nothing he could do.

His visual perception issues screwed him up and despite having the potential for the Byakugan; he couldn't activate it like Shi could. Shun did have an uncanny ability with fixing weapons which meant Tenten had him help her at the little weapon's shop she had opened.

Missions came in less and less, especially those which required her specific skill set. Neji's eyes would always be needed but even so, missions came once a month for him. Sure, they still had a lot of money from his savings before and a little after the war but after eight years of him rarely going on missions, even that was getting low.

They had four kids to raise and Tenten didn't want to be forced to move them into a smaller house because they couldn't pay the bills. The weapons shop wasn't doing great either since no one bought weapons much anymore but the repair side of the shop was doing great. She and Shun would repair anything from weapons to toys to clothes to other odds and ends. Tenten wasn't enthused about spending her life as a shop owner but it meant she got to spend time alone with her son and hey, it paid the bills.

The shinobi world she and Neji had signed up for was almost no more but thankfully her three kids had a dojutsu which would always be needed. It meant they would always have work in some form or another.

Tenten felt Neji's chakra spike and glanced to him. Neji's eyes had widened but he had a snarl on his face while his eyebrows furrowed deeply. His entire body had tensed and his Byakugan had activated. Tenten followed his line of sight to see Hatomi had gone a bit further down the shore than they were, ten yards or so, and a boy spoke to her.

Tenten put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing as Neji _glared_ at the boy Hatomi spoke to. Tenten couldn't see what her daughter was saying but Hatomi stood with her weight on her right leg, body posed almost seductively, with her hands behind her back to thrust out what little chest she had. The boy had noticed.

Neji had too and he didn't look impressed. Tenten put a hand on his knee but he didn't look to her. He didn't have to since his Byakugan was active. Tenten did see Shi had sensed his father's attitude change. Shi blinked and hummed.

Tenten started laughing when Hizashi _tackled_ Hatomi to the ground with a happy shout of "neechan!" Hatomi yelped in an undignified way as she went down. The boy gaped and took several steps back as Hatomi shoved her brother off her then went chasing him into the water, screaming at him for being a dolt.

Neji relaxed as the boy stared after the retreating duo. The boy shook his head then went back to his friends with a frown. Neji smiled as Tenten giggled. She leaned against him and he hummed at her before deactivating his Byakugan.

"What are you going to do when she brings a boy home?" Tenten asked.

"Vacuum Palm him," Neji said.

Tenten rolled her eyes before swatting him. He hummed at her but went back to happily watching Hatomi who held Hizashi's head under water. She let him up after a moment and he sputtered at her as she stalked off. Hatomi noticed the boy she had been talking to had taken off then spun and _glared_ at her brother.

Hizashi yelped then took off again as Hatomi chased him, Byakugan activated. Tenten watched the duo run down the beach, avoiding other kids and parents as they did until they were out of her sight. Tenten saw Neji had activated his Byakugan and had a little smirk on his face.

"She's going to slaughter him," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

Agreement but amused sound. Tenten chuckled. Ten minutes later, Hatomi came back with a smile on her face while Hizashi trudged along behind her with little bruises all over his arms, chest, and legs thanks to Hatomi's Gentle Fist. Tenten rolled her eyes but said nothing.

She sensed charka behind her and looked back the same time Neji did. For a moment, Tenten forgot what to do when she spotted the ANBU operative in his hawk mask crouching behind her, smoke from his teleportation jutsu disappearing around him. It hit her a moment later. Naruto, the Hokage, would want to speak to her or Neji.

"The Seventh requires both of you for a mission," the ANBU said.

Tenten stared. _Both_ of them? The Hell kind of mission was left which required _both_ of them? Tenten nodded then stood. She saw Hatomi had spotted the ANBU and was walking over to them with a little frown on her face. Hizashi caught up to his sister and soon Tenten was staring down her four kids.

"We will be in his presence shortly," Neji said to the ANBU.

The ANBU nodded then disappeared in another cloud of smoke. Tenten took a breath then let it out slowly to calm her racing heart. At least she could blame the sweat on her brow on the heat. Her shaking hands, well, using them to start packing up their things helped her hide this.

"We have to go," Tenten said.

"On a mission?" Hizashi asked.

"Together," Neji replied.

Hizashi's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. Hatomi frowned while Shi scowled. Shun pouted. Tenten wished she could get moisture back into her mouth and throat.

"Hatomi, you will be in charge while we are gone. Once we are done packing up, you four head home while your mother and I meet with the Hokage to get the details. We should be back within the hour to go over how long we will be gone," Neji said.

Good thing he was so logical in this. She had no idea what to say. They were packed and dressed within ten minutes. Hizashi, Hatomi, Shi, and Shun took the various beach bags they had brought and Tenten checked to make sure Hatomi had the keys to the house. She and Neji had tugged on shirts and shoes before leaving their kids.

Tenten couldn't help but look back. Her four children watched her take off in a sprint but followed their path slowly. Tenten let out a breath and felt Neji take her hand in his. They were about to _both_ leave their kids _alone_ for some time. Tenten hated it but it would be a good paying mission. They had to do it for their kids.

* * *

She watched as they left. They had done this before, leaving, but never together and never for two weeks at a time. The Hokage normally gave them short missions lasting at most a week and separately so one of them could always be home. She sighed.

Shinobi could not pick their missions. The missions were selected for them.

"This is so weird," Hizashi said.

She nodded, agreeing with her brother as mother and father left her line of sight. Technically she could activate her Byakugan and keep watching them until they left her vision field of two hundred meters but there would be little point in it. Hatomi closed the door to their home and frowned.

She had seen the stunned and worried look on mother's face the moment the ANBU man left. Father did not show his fear so easily but Hatomi still saw it in father's frown and his white eyes. Mother and father did not mind leaving but this was different.

They would be traveling to the Land of Water, past the Hidden Mist Village, and into what was unknown territory to track down an ancient weapon only mother would be able to properly identify after father found the right cavern it was stashed in. The weapon in question was said to be able to absorb the chakra of anyone cut by it even if the cut was inconsequential. With the rumours of a rebel group wishing to form in the Hidden Mist Village, the Hokage did not want to take any chances.

Hatomi did not blame their Hokage in this but he could have at least sent someone _besides_ her father along with her mother. Certainly Hinata-obasan could have gone with mother and Rock Lee instead of father. Hatomi supposed sending Hinata-obasan would have been horrid for the "Team Guy" team dynamics.

"So, um, what do we do?" Hizashi questioned.

Hatomi looked at her brother and frowned. She had no idea. Father had left her in charge for a reason though, knowing, like him, she would handle this situation with a certain coolness and calm spirit.

"The same thing we do every day around this time," Hatomi replied.

Hizashi nodded and both looked to the clock. Four-twenty-one. Normally mother and father would start on dinner while she and Hizashi trained either with Shi or not. Shun would work on his school work as he sort of watch them. Mother and father were not here to make dinner though.

"Uh," Hizashi said.

"We will make dinner," Hatomi announced. "Shi, you and Shun can help."

Shi nodded in agreement. Shun grinned. Hatomi walked towards the kitchen and ignored the butterflies in her stomach. At least Metal had his mother. Hatomi put this out of her head before finding mother's cookbook and planning out a meal with her brothers.

She had to use a stool so she could properly see the entire stove as did Hizashi. Shi and Shun stood near-by, ready to hand them whatever they needed. Hatomi let out a breath and they started cooking.

As she _not_ suspected: it was a disaster. She had watched father cook many, many times but apparently cooking was not a skill one could pick up by simply watching. After her third attempt at fried egg burned and Hizashi's third attempt at grilling salmon went up in smoke (literally), they shut off the burners and stood away from the stove in defeat.

"So," Shun said.

"Take out?" Hizashi questioned.

Hatomi _loathed_ admitting it but they did not have a choice. She nodded, tossing father's apron over a chair. They cleaned up the kitchen before Hatomi said they should get properly dressed before wandering out of the house. The boys went to their rooms and Hatomi into hers. She sighed against her door.

They could not survive without mother and father. The Academy taught basic cooking skills but over a _fire_ and with food they caught or scavenged. Hatomi would demand father teach them all how to cook when he came back.

If he came back.

Hatomi blinked back the onslaught of tears and stomped towards her closet. No. There was no _if_ her father came back. He, mother, and Rock Lee _would_ be back in two weeks.

She dressed quickly in a pair of black, tight short shorts and a red tee shirt which road a bit high on her stomach. Hatomi left her still-damp hair in its braid then left the room to see Hizashi waiting for her in a pair of black shorts with a blue tank top. Shi came out of his room wearing black shorts, a black tee-shirt, and black sandals while Shun wore gray shorts and a white shirt. Hatomi made sure she had the house keys before they walked out of the house with some of the ryo mother and father had left them for extra spending.

Hizashi, Shi, and Shun wanted to go to Ichiraku but Hatomi didn't mind. The familiarity would be appreciated tonight. The ramen stand had enough seats for the four of them and Hatomi let out a breath of relief. Teuchi smiled at them then frowned when he did not spot father and mother come join them.

"The usual?" Teuchi questioned.

"Yes, please," Hatomi said.

"Thanks," Hizashi said.

"Please," Shi and Shun said.

Teuchi smiled at them and Hatomi looked to her right to see who else sat here. Kiba-sama sat with Tamaki-sama with Akamaru sitting between the two stools. Kiba-sama had stopped eating in mid-bite.

"Where are your mom and dad?" Kiba-sama questioned.

"A two week mission to the Land of Water," Hatomi replied.

Kiba-sama raised an eyebrow and frowned. He finished the ramen hanging off his chopsticks and Hatomi let out a breath, watching as Teuchi made her and her brother's meals.

"Weird Naruto would make them both go. Well, if you kids need any help with anything, you know where we live," Kiba-sama said.

Hatomi wanted to hug him but nodded instead. He grinned at her and Hatomi let out a happy breath.

"Here you go," Teuchi said.

Their order was delivered with help from Ayame. Hatomi gave thanks with her brothers before digging in. It was odd not to be sitting at the dinner table with father and mother. Hatomi could tell all three of her brothers felt the same. Hizashi and Shun didn't eat with the same gusto while Shi looked more pensive than normal.

"So, you four want to come for dinner tomorrow night?" Kiba-sama asked.

He and Tamaki-sama had stood, ready to leave. Hatomi bit her lip. Father had taught them all they could rely on friends and family for help when needed.

"If it is not too much trouble, Kiba-sama," Hatomi said.

Kiba laughed at her.

"It's not any trouble. If you kids come at around four then we'll show you guys some cooking basics," Kiba-sama said.

Hatomi almost gave in to the urge to hug him but kept it back at the last moment. She did allow a little smile to get through her normally stoic expression. Kiba-sama grinned at her.

"We will be there and thank you, Kiba-sama," Hatomi said.

"No problem, Hatomi," Kiba-sama said.

He left with an arm wrapped around Tamaki-sama's waist and a backwards wave. Hatomi let out a breath of relief and was able to finish her meal without an issue. She paid for all four of them and they headed towards home.

Shi and Shun stayed a head two steps while Hizashi walked right beside her, a frown on his normally smiling face. Hatomi met her brother's eyes and he huffed.

"Of all the stuff mom and dad taught us, cooking never came up," Hizashi said.

"They assumed they would be around until we could learn without the need for stools," Hatomi said.

"Yeah, I guess. Still, it's going to be a weird two weeks,"

"Hn,"

Hatomi smiled at Hizashi's chuckle. It might be an odd two weeks but she had her brothers. They would help her get through this as she would help them. It was what family did.

* * *

She had _no idea_ how mother and father did this every morning. Normally Hatomi had to worry about getting out of bed, bathing, getting dressed, and eating breakfast before walking with Shi and Hizashi to the Academy. Now, well, they had to _make_ breakfast on top of getting Shun out of bed and making sure everyone was ready for school.

No, not _they, she_ had to make sure everyone was up, dressed, and fed before leaving the house because father had left her in charge. Hizashi helped and Shi understood he had to do his part but Shun didn't care. Without mother and father to guide him, Shun didn't get out of bed. Hatomi had to _literally_ pull him from the bed and even then he would cry.

She would have to force him into the bathroom with Hizashi while she and Shi shared in brushing teeth, hair, and washing up. Hatomi had taken to picking out the clothes she wanted to wear before going to sleep and slinging her still damp hair into a simple pony tail before attempting breakfast.

"Fried egg, rice, and steamed vegetables _again_?" Shun asked.

Hatomi huffed at him. Kiba-sama had spent an entire night last week teaching her and Hizashi how to cook. They had covered the basics: frying egg, steaming vegetables, and cooking rice. Hatomi didn't have _time_ to try making grilled anything or soups like mother and father did.

"Hey, you're eating so eat and be happy about it," Hizashi said.

"I don't have to be happy about anything," Shun said.

Hatomi rolled her eyes as she dug into her uninspired meal. Father and mother's food was better, seasoned somehow but she had no idea _how._ She tried not to linger too long on it as Shun huffed at his food.

"I want mom and dad," Shun said.

"Well, they're on a mission so we can't have them until they come back," Hizashi said.

"What if they don't come back?" Shun asked.

Hatomi no longer felt hungry. A stone had appeared in her stomach and a ball of tears in her throat kept her from swallowing. Tears stung her eyes but she blinked them away.

"Don't say stupid stuff like that," Hizashi said. "These are mom and dad. They'll be back."

Shun shrugged and his white eyes, so much like father's but useless, focused on his food.

"But what if they don't?" Shun questioned.

Hatomi had been lingering on the same thought, not intentionally of course but in the moments before going into a deep sleep or waking up from slumber. Those few moments when she did not have complete control over her thoughts yet which made her terrified of what they would do if mother and father did not return.

"Well, then you still have me and Hatomi. And Shi. We're still a family," Hizashi said.

Shun met Hizashi's eyes, considering then sighed. He poked at his food and Hatomi put more food into her mouth before forcing it down. The rest of the meal was quiet as they finished and washed the dishes. Hatomi made sure everyone had their homework, books, and the bento boxes she had prepared last night before ushering everyone out and locking the door behind her.

The civilian Academy was not far from the Shinobi Academy and today, Hizashi went with Shun the extra block. Hatomi waited with Shi near the front of the Shinobi Academy and said nothing when her younger brother kicked at the ground at his feet.

"What if they don't come back?" Shi questioned.

"Then we will have to make due," Hatomi replied.

Shi hummed. Hatomi let out a breath and forced the tears back.

"It will be horrible, yes, but they would not want us to give up. Father never gave up when he almost died and we should not give up if they do not come back," Hatomi said.

"Easier said than done," Shi said.

Hatomi glared at him but he kept his eyes on the ground, unfazed.

"They are _not_ dead or missing yet. Do you have so little faith in our parents?" Hatomi questioned.

She did not care she had raised her voice and a few kids were looking over. She did see Sarada and Sakura-sama walking towards them. Hatomi had unintentionally activated her Byakugan.

"I have faith in them. But we can't pretend everything will always be sunshine and rainbows," Shi said.

He left without another word and Hatomi watched him go. She let out a long breath and deactivated her Byakugan as Sakura-sama and Sarada approached. Hatomi took the expression off her face before turning to her best friend and Sakura-sama.

"Hey Hatomi," Sarada said.

"Hello Sarada," Hatomi returned.

"Everything okay with you kids?" Sakura-sama questioned.

Hatomi put a small smile on her face despite the fact she felt like screaming. Hizashi walked towards them now, looking tired. He had probably had to argue with Shun about staying at school the entire day.

"Everything is fine, Sakura-sama, thank you for asking after us though," Hatomi said.

Sakura-sama hummed but nodded. Chocho came running towards them as Choji-sama walked behind her. Hatomi spotted Boruto, Shikadai, and Inojin heading towards them as well with Hinata-sama, Temari-sama, and Sai-sama. Metal and Yusa-sama brought up the rear.

Hatomi tried not to think of how all her friends still had _their_ parents and kept the fake smile on her face as Sakura patted Sarada's head and gave her a good-bye hug. Hatomi waited with Sarada and Hizashi until everyone else caught up then began heading towards the classroom.

"Is everything really okay?" Sarada asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Hizashi returned.

Sarada flushed. Boruto snorted.

"Because you guys are basically raising your brothers right now," Boruto said.

"We are perfectly capable of taking care of our siblings," Hatomi said.

"Yeah, a few minor adjustments and everything's fine. Besides, mom and dad will be home in a week so it'll be fine," Hizashi said.

Hatomi saw her friends, all but Metal of course, exchange a look. Hatomi stopped in the middle of the hallway and glared at them all. Sarada and Chocho gaped, taking half a step back. Inojin winced. Shikadai scowled and Boruto, he snorted.

"They _will_ be back in a week," Hatomi said.

She spun on her heel to hide her tears, knowing the tips of her hair smacked someone in the face then stomped the rest of the way to class. Hizashi followed after her and together they sat front and center in the classroom like always. Shino-sensei glanced up at their entrance but Hatomi said nothing to him.

The day went by as normal: maths, grammar, writing, sparring, target practice, shinobi rules, and other lessons Hatomi found boring. Hizashi yawned through target practice while Hatomi took down a civilian boy who said she was too pretty to be a shinobi. He didn't sound so sure after a few face-fulls of dirt and his chakra system acting strangely.

She and Hizashi headed towards Shun's school with Shi once the final bell rang. Other civilian kids who didn't make it into the Academy ran by them until they became a trickle then nothing. Hatomi scowled.

"Where is he?" Hizashi muttered.

Hatomi let out a breath before digging her cell phone out of her pocket. At least the machine was charged. Hatomi hit Shun's number and listened to the ringing. Father had not liked the thought of any of them having cell phones but mother had convinced him they would be useful in emergencies. Too bad none of their phones did anything but call one of five numbers.

Hatomi got Shun's answering machine.

"He is not picking up," Hatomi said.

Hizashi scowled. Shi kicked the dirt at his feet. Hatomi clicked her phone shut then activated Byakugan. After a moment, Hizashi and Shi activated their dojutsu as well.

"We should check at home first," Hatomi said.

"Right," Hizashi agreed.

"Hn," Shi mumbled.

She took off with her brother's following. As typical, she took the lead. Hizashi stayed back with Shi as Hatomi sped ahead, eyes scanning everything as she moved. She stopped a hundred meters from their home but saw no sign of Shun in or around the house. Hizashi and Shi stopped near her and Hizashi's scowl deepened.

"Not there," Hizashi said.

"The park. He likes the swings," Shi said.

The swings were one concept her and Shun had in common. Hatomi took the lead again but the park did not hold their brother. She saw Hizashi trying the cell phone again but there was no response.

Hatomi frowned as she considered. Where would she go if she was Shun?

She would have left the school during final break then headed...where? _I want mom and dad. What if they don't come back?_ Of course.

"The Village Gates," Hatomi said.

"Huh?" Hizashi asked.

"What?" Shi questioned.

Hatomi took off. She saw Hizashi and Shi following behind her after a moment but refocused her vision forward. It did not take her long to reach the front gates of the village. It took her less time to see she had been right.

Shun stood in front of the open gates, not going outside of the Village but looking out towards the main path where mother and father would come. Hatomi let out a breath before landing near Shun who looked up at her with a frown.

"You could have at least answered your phone," Hatomi told him.

Shun shrugged. Hatomi let out a breath and deactivated her Byakugan as Shi and Hizashi landed near them.

"They will be back in a week, perhaps a few days less depending on how the mission goes," Hatomi said.

"I still miss them," Shun said.

"We all do," Hatomi said.

Shun met her eyes. She raised an eyebrow at him as he scoffed and looked to the ground.

"Yeah, but you three can _see_ them coming or go after them if they don't come back. I can't," Shun said.

It hit Hatomi then the difference between her, Hizashi, Shi, and Shun.

Shun was correct. He could not use Byakugan to see their parents coming before anyone else could. Even if he wanted to leave the Village he was an untrained child who would not be able to survive outside of the Village without someone else to take care of him in almost every sense of the word.

Worse yet, Shun's special issues meant even if Shun wanted to leave the Village he could not be resourceful like a typical seven year old. He did not understand money. He could not read a map. He could not make out complicated directions. He would be dead within days.

"I promise you if mother and father are not back a few days after they are due back then we will _all_ go looking for them. That includes you," Hatomi said.

Shun stared at her for a long moment with his eyes wide and lips slightly parted. He grinned then took her hand in his.

"Okay," Shun said.

Hatomi smiled at him, a full smile then guided her brothers back home. Hizashi winked at her and Shi gave a small grin. They had each other. They would be fine.

* * *

Hatomi frowned when she did not find Hizashi. Saturday morning meant they could sleep in but even so she woke before eight in the morning. She still had to cook and make sure everyone did their school work so they could spar in the evening. Perhaps she could attempt to make something besides fried egg, steamed vegetables, and rice but she would need Hizashi's help. This brought her to her current issue.

Hatomi blinked when she spotted the door to mother and father's room wide open. Mother and father had closed their door before the mission and Hatomi made it a point to shut the door before she went to bed last. Hizashi being in their parent's room made sense.

She had come from the bathroom after a nice long shower, drying her hair, braiding it then getting dressed in tights which ended a little above her knee and a no sleeved white shirt which had frills from the waist and ended at her mid-thighs.

She had taken a long time in the bathroom but had not expected any of her three brothers to be up before she had finished. Apparently she would have to mark this day down. Hatomi stepped into her parents' room and blinked.

Wonder of wonders, Hizashi had bathed and wore gray shorts with a bright green shirt. His hair was dry and tied in a low pony tail. There was a summoning scroll on the bed along with a box. Hizashi had been about to make the first summon from the scroll but stopped.

"What are you doing?" Hatomi questioned.

"I found this box under mom and dad's bed so opened it," Hizashi said.

She did not understand her brother's logic in most things. Father told her Hizashi had received mother's thought process. Mother had swatted father for the remark but in a loving way.

"What?" Hatomi asked.

Hizashi rolled his eyes.

"I dropped my body wash coming out of the shower and it went under the bed. When I went looking for it, I found this box all sealed with traps and stuff. I looked inside with Byakugan and spotted a scroll," Hizashi explained.

His thought process was still lost on her.

"It does not mean you should _open_ said scroll," Hatomi told him.

Another eye roll.

"This is _our mom_. You know, Konoha's Weapons Mistress. If _she's_ got a scroll hiding in a sealed box under the bed then it's got to have something really cool in it," Hizashi said.

 _Now_ she understood his reasoning. Hatomi stepped forward to stop him from opening the first weapon in the scroll.

"Now what?" Hizashi asked.

"It is _mother's_ personal weapon stash. Just because _you_ happen to share her love of weapons does not give you the right to go snooping in her scrolls," Hatomi replied.

Hizashi blinked at her then grinned. Hatomi scowled as Hizashi pushed her off. She hated he was getting physically stronger than her. If it ever came down to no weapon or chakra brawling then Hizashi would win.

"And mom would be impressed if I could figure out one of her weapons," Hizashi said.

Hatomi could not stop him when he brought forth the first weapon. They both stared at the object in wonder. Hatomi looked to Hizashi, the so-called weapons master in training but even he seemed confused.

The item in front of them was, well, five items really. Two were pieces of leather about six inches wide and easily nine inches long. Both had three sets of belts and buckles to do up with. The other three pieces were belts which looked to hook through the bigger pieces of leather. They did not make any sense.

Hizashi picked up one of the wider pieces anyway and draped it over his wrist. With his other hand, he managed to enclose the leather around his wrist in a sort of cuff. Hizashi frowned at the cuff around his wrist as he picked up one of the belts. Hatomi saw the exact moment a light bulb went off above his head.

"Wrist restraints," Hizashi said.

"Yes, but why would mother need them?" Hatomi questioned.

Hizashi opened his mouth then closed it. He hummed as he took off the restraint. The leather was not even a proper restraint. It went from wrist to mid-forearm, yes but even so the wrist still had some range of motion. If a shinobi was good enough they could undo all the belts and be free within moments.

"And they're kind of useless," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

"I don't know. Let's see what else is in here,"

Hatomi frowned as Hizashi brought forth another bit of leather. This one formed a collar when Hizashi buckled it and a slender silver chain could be hooked to a large ring in front of the collar. Hatomi stared at the leather collar with her brother.

"Okay, this doesn't make sense either," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

"I mean, what's the point of collaring someone by the neck? If you pull too hard or they go limp on you then you could kill them,"

Hatomi didn't argue. Hizashi put the collar down and brought the next item out. A whip. Hatomi had no idea mother used whips in attacks then again Hatomi rarely saw mother fighting.

"Okay, why a whip?" Hizashi asked.

He still picked it up and held it as if the whip had the answer. Hatomi shrugged when he looked to her.

"You are the weapons expert in training," Hatomi pointed out.

Hizashi snorted at her.

"It's light weight too which means you really can't do a lot of damage with it unless you swing it really hard. I mean, it'd sting and leave marks but wouldn't cut the flesh right away. You'd really have to be wailing on the person to get any kind of message across,"

Hatomi crossed her arms under her chest and tilted her head to a side. Hizashi gave the whip an experimental slash and Hatomi knew her brother was right. Mother had better whips than this one. She had to. She was Konoha's Weapons Mistress.

So engrossed in the unusual items in the scroll, they did not hear the front door unlock. They did not see their parents enter with sagging shoulders, messy hair, torn places in their clothes, dirt streaks on their clothes and exposed skin, bags under their eyes, and a set of bandages wrapped around their father's left forearm.

"A paddle?" Hizashi questioned.

Hatomi shrugged again. The paddle was wooden and shaped like any normal paddle for ping pong ball except this one had a leather wrapped handle. The items did not make sense alone never mind together.

"What are you two doing?"

Hatomi turned to the new voice and her eyes widened. Father stood in the doorway, eyes tired, dirt across his right cheek, hair a mess, clothes dirty and covered in tiny scratches and his left forearm wrapped. One eyebrow was raised and he had a scowl on his face along with a faint blush.

Hatomi did not care why father blushed or why his eyebrow twitched as if he was both annoyed and mortified. She ran towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tight as she smiled into his dirty flank vest.

"Hn," father muttered.

She felt one of his hands on her middle back as she squeezed him tight, breathing in the scent of sweat, grass, dirt, a bit of blood, and _father_. Relief flooded through her body as she heard his heart beating under her head and felt the warmth of his body. He had come back to them, alive, well, and still able to teach them all what he knew. She wanted to cry but shinobi didn't cry.

"Jeez Hizashi, loosen up a bit, you're killing me,"

Hatomi smiled at her brother who had wrapped mother in a hug as tight. Mother patted the top of Hizashi's head and had her other arm wrapped around his waist. A huge smile took over her face and her brown eyes were kind, happy, and a little damp with unshed tears.

"Sorry, I just missed you. We missed you. We couldn't cook. We've been on fried eggs, steamed vegetables and rice for two weeks and only because Kiba-sama taught us that," Hizashi said.

"Really?" mother questioned.

"Yes, we burned all other attempts and had to go to Ichiraku for dinner the first night," Hatomi told her.

She felt father chuckle. She smiled when mother gave father look consisting of a smirk.

"Hey, _you_ burned every attempt at cooking _anything_ for the first year or so you started learning," mother said.

Hatomi glanced up at her father to see him frowning with his lower lip stuck out a bit in a not-pout. Hizashi laughed.

"Runs in the family I guess," Hizashi said.

"Yeah, I burned a lot of food the first few years too," mother said.

She ruffled Hizashi's hair and he beamed. Hatomi gave father a final squeeze before pulling back and looking up at him. He smiled at her, softly, but it was still there.

"Now, what _were_ you two doing in here?" Mother asked.

"Oh, looking through the scroll under your bed," Hizashi said casually.

He had stepped out of his embrace as well. Hatomi watched with her brother as both mother and father stiffened. Father raised an eyebrow and let out a little breath, _relieved_ , when he spotted what was on the bed. Mother shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Lemme guess, something of yours went under the bed while Hatomi took too long in the bathroom, you spotted the box and figured you could train with a special weapon of mine?" mother questioned.

Hatomi had no doubts Hizashi took after their mother as he nodded at her. Mother sighed heavily before going to the bed where she returned the items to the scroll, put the scroll back into the box then sealed the box.

"Jeez," mother said.

"You are grounded for a week, both of you," father said.

Hatomi gaped at him. He raised an eyebrow and frowned at both of them. This time Hatomi caught his blush and wondered at it.

"Wha-wha-what?" Hizashi asked.

He flushed when his voice cracked. Hatomi wanted to laugh but she had never been _grounded_ before.

"There's this thing called privacy you two both kind of breeched. So, one week: no hanging out after school with friends, no learning new techniques from us, and going to bed at nine with no exceptions," mother said.

They had done this for the past two weeks. Hatomi pushed out her lower lip and made it tremble before allowing tears to come to her eyes. Father's eyes went wide and both eyebrows went up.

"But father, I _told_ Hizashi not to go into mother's scroll. I attempted to stop him but he went through it anyway and I did not want to hurt him," Hatomi said.

Hatomi watched as father's lips parted slightly and his white eyes shifted to stare at mother. Hatomi didn't turn to look at mother but could _hear_ mother's eyes roll.

"Nice try, Hatomi but you're as guilty as your brother in this. And since when do you _not_ want to hurt your brother? Go on, out both of you. Your dad and I want to shower, get changed, and maybe catch a nap. Try to keep Shi and Shun under control till noon, huh? We'll cook lunch," mother said.

Hatomi dropped her puppy dog look then nodded. She gave father a final hug before leaving the room with Hizashi who looked stunned at the current events. She punched him in the shoulder and he yelped.

"Dolt," Hatomi said.

"Ah, I didn't know they'd be coming back _today,"_ Hizashi said.

Hatomi rolled her eyes before walking into her room and shutting the door in his face. He yelped again. She held a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Everything was back to normal and she couldn't be happier.

* * *

"Oh Kami," Tenten muttered.

She heard Neji chuckle and looked up at him. Neji had a faint blush on his face but lightly ran his fingers over the box on their bed. His eyes were on hers and she grinned at him.

"You know how bad it would've been had Hizashi brought a _dildo_ out of the scroll?" Tenten asked.

Neji shrugged.

"But he did not. And both believe we will be indisposed until noon which is three hours from now. We can do many, many, things in three hours," Neji said.

Tenten felt her lips part and heat come to her cheeks. She flicked her eyes downward, towards Neji's groin and saw he had filled out the front of his pants nicely. Tenten met his eyes again and saw the little sexy smile on Neji's lips.

Apparently taking _out_ the box made him think of sex and their kinks. Tenten didn't mind, not really, but she had been serious about the shower. She stopped thinking about showering when Neji unzipped his gray flank vest and tossed it towards the hamper.

The black pants came off next and landed near the hamper. Tenten watched as Neji pulled off his white tee-shirt, similar in style to his old long-sleeved shirt. He wore nothing underneath these three items of clothing so stood naked in front of her.

Tenten kept watching, smiling softly, as Neji pulled off his hitai-ate and shifted to place it on their dresser. He locked their bedroom door as well. Tenten watched Neji untied the low pony tail he kept his hair in. He shook out his hair then tilted his head to a side to consider her. Well, at least getting naked meant they could take this to the shower. She couldn't dress him in anything, really, but it didn't put all their toys out of use.

Tenten pulled off her obi, qipao dress, summoning scrolls, earrings, fishnets, bra, and panties, tossing each item towards the hamper or dresser. She took off her hitai-ate and let her hair down. Man it felt good to be out of her grungy mission clothes.

"I can't restrain you in the shower," Tenten said.

Neji shrugged.

"You can after," Neji said.

Tenten grinned. She summoned forth the anal beads, blue butt plug, purple dildo, the black dildo, and one of their waterproof vibrators. Neji smiled as she brought out his collar and the wrist restraints for later. She placed their toys into his hands and he followed her into the shower.

She noticed he had left the anal beads and butt plug behind but knew it meant he wanted to be anally fucked while they washed. Tenten got into their bath tub with shower attachment and Neji followed. He placed their toys on the empty shelf behind him as she closed the shower doors.

"You bend for the taps. Which dildo would you like?" Tenten asked.

"You may give me the black one, Mistress," Neji replied.

She nodded. Neji bent at the waist, knees straight, and pointed his ass towards her. Tenten placed her hands onto his smooth butt and massaged as Neji began fiddling with the taps. The water hit his lower back a moment later and Tenten chuckled when he shivered from the cold water.

She found their bottle of lube and quickly lubed up one finger before rubbing the slick digit against his waiting hole. Neji hummed happily as she worked her finger in and out of him. She kept a hand on his ass to keep him steady and noticed he had placed both hands on the rim of the tub so he could balance.

She smacked him hard in the left butt cheek and he moaned low in his throat. Tenten grinned at him as she worked two fingers into his ass. Neji kept thrusting backwards into her as she spanked him and stretched his _tight_ hole.

Tenten didn't care it took her five long minutes to get up to four fingers. Neji didn't seem to mind either with all the soft sex sounds he made and the way he pushed back towards her. Finally she felt he was stretched enough she could start working the dildo into his ass.

She lubed the last three inches of the massive black cock before pressing it against his hole. Neji let out a little breath as she pushed it into him. She watched his body shiver in pleasure as she shoved the dildo up inside of him. She stopped when the first three inches were in.

"You okay?"

"Yes Mistress,"

The next three inches weren't a breeze and Neji's hips started lowering as his knees became weak. Tenten bent and ducked her head under the spray of warm water so she could plant kisses along his spine.

"Still good?"

"Yes Mistress,"

His voice was breathy, filled in pleasure and she planted a kiss at the back of his neck. She lubed up the dildo and began pushing the last four inches into his ass. Tenten let go of the dildo once the balls hit Neji's ass and guided him to stand.

Neji's eyes were half closed, his chest heaving as he gasped in pleasure, and his body covered in grime and sweat. Tenten unravelled the bandages around his left forearm and threw them over the shower doors. The cut on his arm had healed well. It was still a bit red but bathing wouldn't hurt it. They might not be able to use the wrist cuffs.

"I want to bury my face in your folds, Mistress," Neji said.

Tenten smiled then panted a hard kiss on his mouth. He wrapped his arms around her waist, groaning into the kiss.

"Let's clean up a little bit first, okay?"

"Yes Mistress,"

She grabbed the body wash in one hand and squirted a path over his chest. Neji chuckled as she ran her hands over his chest, lathering up the soap as she went and washing down his chest, abs, arms, and down to his groin. Neji shivered when she wrapped her soap covered hand around his dripping length and began tugging.

She kissed his cheek when he poured body wash into his hand before rubbing his hands together and placing both on her breasts to massage and wash. Tenten kept their bodies apart so Neji's hands could rub over her chest, stomach, hips, arms, and shoulders to wash her down before lingering on her heated groin.

Tenten ran soap over his ass, around the dildo and between his thighs. Neji arched towards her with a little moan and she gasped as he grabbed her ass in his hands, cleaning and massaging roughly. His hands ran over her thighs, between them, down as far as he could reach without having to bend. She did the same with her free hand as her other kept pumping his cock leisurely.

She knew the pace she set wouldn't let him cum any time soon but it was doing great to drive him wild. They ducked under the spray, rinsing off all the soap and she kissed him, opening his mouth and delving her tongue between his lips. Neji's hummed joyfully into her mouth as she pressed against his wet body.

They parted and Tenten let Neji push her against the tiles. She let go of his cock as he squatted in front of her. She almost laughed when he began soaping up her legs but she spread them and shivered. His lips went to her folds eagerly and within moments his tongue lapped against her.

Tenten let out a breath and leaned against the tiles, one hand tangled in Neji's dirty hair as he pushed his tongue into her, using his nose to rub against her clit. Pleasure shot from her groin down to her toes and up to her shoulders and she quivered against the shower tiles, only wincing because of how greasy Neji's hair had become.

She opened her eyes for long enough to grab the shampoo bottle. Neji snickered against her groin as she got a dollop of shampoo onto the top of his head and began massaging it through his scalp. He groaned at the massage and the pace of him eating her out increased.

Tenten got his scalp clean then clutched his hair hard as she came. Neji kept licking at her as she came down from her high. He sat back again, hands on her upper thighs as she got the length of his hair up to wash with the shampoo on his scalp. He stood when she tugged him up and he grinned.

Tenten put his hair into a shampoo bun then washed his back. She felt the various tension and kinks disappear under her hands as he groaned under her in adore. She grabbed the dildo in his ass in one hand as she washed with the other.

Neji let out a strangled scream as she began thrusting the dildo in and out of him. He shoved against the tile and she grinned. Neji came hard in two minutes: spurting all over the shower tile and she had to help him turn so they could wash off his back then the shampoo in his hair. He didn't stop trembling but she didn't mind.

Tenten rubbed conditioner into his hair then turned her back to him. Instantly he began washing her hair, giving her a deep scalp massage complete with little flares of chakra to make her arch against him in desire. She came again and had to lean against him to catch her breath. She smiled when Neji tied up her hair then gently pushed her against the shower tiles. He began rubbing and washing her back, sending more chakra to all her pleasure points.

At some point he pushed the purple dildo into her then rubbed his knee against her groin. Tenten didn't care, pressing against the cool shower tiles as she let out little grunts and gasps. Kami he was so good with his hands!

She came _again_ and almost went to her knees. Neji kept her upright, half holding her to rinse off her back and her hair. He put conditioner into her hair before washing his legs, watching her out of the corner of one eye. Tenten didn't think she would make it to kinky sex in bed. She felt exhausted.

He looked tired and Tenten knew he was the moment he rinsed the conditioner out of his hair then grabbed the dildo up his ass in one hand. He raised an eyebrow at her and she nodded. Neji pulled the dildo carefully out of his ass then went about washing it under the spray. She rinsed out her hair when he was done. The purple dildo came out of her and she washed this one as well. Tenten turned off the water after making sure they didn't have any lingering soap suds.

They dried off then picked up their toys and put them all away. Tenten sealed their box this time getting Neji to put it deep into the top of their closet. Tenten yawned heavily before lying two towels across both their pillows and relaxing into bed. Neji curled up beside her and Tenten ran her hands through his damp hair. It was good to be home.

* * *

First thing you do when getting back from a mission? Have kinky shower sex.

Haha, good thing Hizashi and Hatomi haven't gotten into the discussion of kinky sex. Haha, Hatomi trying the puppy dog look on Neji which would've worked if not for Tenten being in the room. Hatomi's a totally daddy's girl, princess, and Neji can't help but cave to her puppy dog look. Tenten of course, knows. It's why she reprimands Hatomi. :P

Reviews welcome.


	16. Forging Teams

**Forging Teams**

 **Author's Notes:** More time skipping cuz it's FUN. Again, chapters will either be in Tenten's PoV or Hatomi's PoV. You'll know dependant on content. Kinky sex is obviously Tenten. ;) No, I still don't know where I'm going with this. Yes, I've prewritten everything before posting it. No, I won't change the notes even if I finish it before posting it. Ha.

Again: I AM NOT EVEN LOOKING at the canon. So the whole Sarada extra chapter is being completely changed because well, it didn't make sense and now there are four Hyuuga kids thanks to Neji and Tenten.

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

Again: chapter a day till November then I'll be on a hiatus of sorts.

* * *

Tenten had been looking forward to this the moment she knew her kids would become shinobi. She sat beside Neji with Shun to her other side while Shi sat beside Shun. Along the rows of seats were various civilian parents and all of Tenten and Neji's friends. Today they would watch their kids graduate from the Shinobi Academy.

Well, they _hoped_ to watch their kids graduate today. While Tenten, Neji, all their friends, and other parents got to wait in a nice comfortable room with angled seating looking down at a polished wood stage, their kids would be taking tests to actually graduate.

The written test took two hours. The practical would take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending what Shino had set up for each kid. Even so, all of their kids had been in the Academy for six years since Kakashi had tacked on two more years of learning.

These extra two years were devoted to Shinobi detailed history, elemental skills, infiltration skills, and the inner-workings of the predominate clans or families in and outside of Konoha. Their kids learned about the world in far greater detail, getting knowledge on stuff Tenten and the rest of her peers didn't gain until out in the field.

Tenten let out a breath as she watched the doors at the back of the room. Neji held her hand and she kept his squeezed tight in her grip. No one spoke, not even Ino and Temari who sat side by side with their husbands on their opposite sides. Sakura sat beside Sai but even the pinkette wasn't leaning towards Ino to gossip.

They had been told to grab seats for three but Tenten, Neji, and her shinobi peers had gathered before then so they got the front row of seats. It was going on four now but it felt like an entire day had passed. Tenten stiffened when Naruto walked through the doors with Shino on his heels. The doors stayed open but no one else came out.

"Welcome parents and friends to the graduation of this year's students," Naruto said.

He rubbed the back of his head when no one made a sound. He coughed then chuckled. Shino said and did nothing as typical. Tenten wanted to laugh but was too damned nervous for her kids. She knew they had passed but what team would they be on? Who would be their sensei? Would they even pass the _other_ test?

"Well, we're going to do something a bit different this year. I'm going to introduce the graduates by team, give them their forehead protectors and let you all take pictures. They will be meeting with their sensei tomorrow morning at 8AM sharp at the field their new sensei tells them," Naruto said.

Talk about getting everything done at once. Tenten would thank Naruto later.

"First up we have Team Konohamaru," Naruto said.

Konohamaru strode out the door with a smile on his face. He carried three blue hitai-ate and Tenten bit her tongue as Naruto waited for the feeble applause to stop.

"On Konohamaru's team will be Mitsuki,"

A boy with short, spiky, pale hair, kind of blue, amber eyes, and deathly light skin walked out of the doors. He wore a long kimono shirt in two tones: white and blue, which bellowed over his hands with navy blue pants. Black mid-calf sandals graced his feet and his smile reminded her of Orochimaru.

"Uchiha Sarada,"

Sakura let out a whoop which echoed through the room. Tenten started clapping which made everyone else start to clap. Sarada, dressed in a qipao dress similar to her mother's genin dress and black tights, adjusted her red framed glasses, blushing, and stood beside Mitsuki.

"Uzumaki Boruto,"

Oh _this_ was an interesting team. Tenten couldn't help but laugh as Boruto strode into the room wearing a white tee shirt, black pants, and a black jacket. Konohamaru handed out the hitai-ate and all three tied them in the proper places on their foreheads.

"Next up we have team Moegi. First: Akimichi Chocho,"

Choji and Karui started cheering as Chocho came out wearing a white sleeveless kimono, long black shinobi boots, black arm warmers, and a netted tee-shirt. She waved at her parents as she stood beside Moegi.

"Nara Shikadai,"

Howls from Temari and a grin from Shikamaru. Shikadai looked weary at the attention as he trudged up to Chocho. He wore black pants and a black shirt with a light jacket opened atop the shirt.

"Yamanaka Inojin,"

Ino cheered while Sai gave a true smile. Inojin wore dark pants and a shirt similar to Sai's. If it wasn't for Inojin's longish blond hair and blue eyes he would look like a second Sai. Moegi gave her students their hitai-ate and they stood in front of her like Team Konohamaru had. They wore their hitai-ate protectors in the proper place as well.

"With Team Lee we have Hatomi Hyuuga,"

Tenten gasped. She had _no idea_ Lee had signed up to be a sensei. No wonder he wasn't sitting beside Yusa. She started clapping with Neji as Hatomi walked out of the doors. Tenten couldn't help but chuckle at Hatomi's neutral expression.

Her daughter wore black tights to her knees under a pale pink sleeveless shirt. The shirt ended in a kind of frilly skirt that went to her mid thighs and had been tied around her waist with a black obi. Hatomi kept her hair in the French braid style but tied off the braids at the nape with a pink ribbon which allowed the rest of her hair to hang free to her middle thighs. She wore fish net from her mid-bicep to her mid-forearm on both arms. Her black sandals stopped at her ankles.

Hatomi had filled out considerably in the past two years. She had also grown to five feet and three inches with wide hips, an ample chest, and a petite waist which her outfit only emphasized. Their daughter also walked with all the grace and elegance of a Hyuuga. She looked older than her twelve years because of the cool facial expression and the fact she had a figure even Moegi looked jealous of.

"Hyuuga Hizashi,"

Tenten knew who the third member of Team Lee would be without having to ask. Neji groaned beside her but kept clapping for their son. Hizashi came out with a grin and waving. He wore black shorts and a bright blue shirt similar in style to Neji's old genin shirt. He also wore fishnet like Hatomi. As if the two needed to be any more similar. His sandals were higher than Hatomi's, mid calf. He stood beside his sister and was an inch taller than her and broader in the shoulders.

"Metal Lee,"

Metal came out with a shout wearing the green spandex body suit, the orange leg warmers, bandages around his forearms, blue shinobi sandals, and sporting a bowl cut. He ran to his teammates, got between them and wrapped them both in a sort of sideways hug. Hizashi snorted but took the hug. Hatomi, ever like her father, huffed, crossed her arms under her chest and looked away with a scowl.

Lee handed out the hitai-ate and Tenten giggled when she spotted a longer red one which Metal tied around his waist. As if he didn't look like his father enough. Hizashi tied his hitai-ate around his right leg. Hatomi let hers hang like a Hinata had as a genin.

Tenten grinned and saw Neji smirking as the other genin near them stared at the three in wonder. Tenten saw her shinobi friends laughing as they all knew what a Hyuuga with a bared forehead meant.

Naruto went through the rest of the teams but Tenten didn't pay much attention. She knew the chances of civilian genin passing the test their sensei set up were slim to none. The new Ino-Shika-Cho team, Team Konohamaru and what would become the new Team Guy would pass. Tenten leaped out of her seat along with her friends when they were told they could come to take pictures. The first thing she did was hug her kids.

Hatomi was about to tug away but Neji's arms surrounded them all and Hatomi hummed before settling in place. Shi and Shun joined them after a minute and Tenten laughed when Ino took a picture on her purple phone.

"You've gotta send me that later," Tenten said.

"Of course! Besides, we all need recorded evidence of Neji and Hatomi being human," Ino said.

Neji and Hatomi glared at Ino, perfectly in sync. Ino gaped then started laughing along with everyone else. Tenten followed everyone out to the grounds of the Academy where students stood near their parents to get their pictures.

Tenten beamed when it came to her family's turn. She saw Hizashi with the same happy grin on his face while Neji and Hatomi smiled softly. Shi and Shun came into the second picture, Shi standing near Hatomi while Shun took up a place beside Hizashi. Shun smiled broadly with them while Shi gave a light smile.

Tenten laughed once the picture was taken, knowing it would look like her family was split in half between broad grinners and light smilers. She didn't care. All their family portraits were the same.

"Can we eat? I'm starving," Hizashi said.

"We're all going out for dinner at a yakiniku place with the other families," Tenten said.

"Kay," Hizashi said.

"Hn," Hatomi mumbled.

"Awesome," Shun shouted.

"Hn," Shi muttered.

Tenten stared at Neji. He blinked then a smirk came to his face.

"Hn,"

Tenten swatted Neji in the shoulder for his happy "hn" but he chuckled. They waited at the Academy entrance for everyone else before heading for barbeque. Thankfully Ino had called the restaurant ahead of time because there would be no other way for a place to accommodate over twenty people.

Tenten smiled when she saw the place had put a few tables together so their immense group wouldn't have to separate. Tenten took a seat at the far right while Neji settled beside her. Hinata, Lee, Yusa, Choji, Karui, Temari, Shikamaru, Sakura, Ino, and Sai filled up their side.

Hizashi sat directly across from her then Hatomi, Shi, Shun, Metal, Chocho, Shikadai, Inojin, Sarada, Boruto, Himawari, and Mitsuki fell in line. Naruto came in late but took the head of the table beside Ino and Mitsuki with no issues.

"This is so awesome," Chocho said.

"Yeah, we're shinobi now," Metal said.

"Yosh! You'll all burn brightly in your Springtime of Youth!"

Tenten chuckled as Hatomi glared and Hizashi deadpanned. Neji let out a breath then raised an eyebrow at Lee.

"And to be the sensei of my niece, nephew, _and_ son! Naruto, how could I ever thank you? This is a dream come true!"

"You could start by not shouting," Boruto muttered.

Metal gaped at the blond haired boy in a typical over-dramatic Lee (and Guy) way. Tenten saw Neji mouthing "I am so sorry" to Hatomi who pouted. Hizashi kept gaping.

"But my father is basking in his Springtime of Youth!"

"Wow," Naruto said with a laugh.

"It's Team Guy version 2.0," Ino said.

"Yeah," Choji said. "Except this time around the Hyuuga is female while the weapon wielder is male."

"And the Hyuuga and Weapons Expert likely won't start dating," Sai said.

Tenten stared at Sai in awe. Neji glared. Hatomi and Hizashi looked to each other then to Sai with horror written all over their features. Hizashi got to his feet and pointed at Sai.

"Why the Heck would you even _imply_ that?" Hizashi shrieked.

"Imbecile," Hatomi muttered.

Hizashi whirled on her. His mouth opened and closed in shock. She raised an eyebrow at him before snorting and looking away from her brother.

"Him, not you. You are dolt," Hatomi said.

Hizashi sighed but settled back into his seat, defeated. Tenten tried not to laugh at her twins' antics. Neji shook his head but she spotted a little smile on his face.

"That's, that's," Ino tried.

"Rude," Sai said.

He was frowning. Hatomi raised an eyebrow at him, mimicking Neji's superiority look perfectly. Sai's eyes went wide and his lips parted. The rest of the table gaped as well, except for the kids. They were used to Hatomi after all.

Still, the fact she mimicked her father perfectly always made Tenten impressed, or annoyed, or amused. This time it struck her as funny because of her friends' looks.

"Says the one who implied I would have relations with my twin brother," Hatomi said.

Sai scowled. Ino rubbed her forehead while everyone else started snickering.

"Best to keep your mouth shut, Sai," Tenten said as Sai started to speak. "You can't argue with her unless you somehow break her logic which only Neji or Shi can do with any kind of success."

This made everyone stare then start laughing when Neji and Shi nodded in agreement.

"I don't know _how_ you deal with a female version of Neji," Ino said.

"Or a male version of well, yourself," Sakura said.

Tenten laughed. Hizashi was weapon crazy, like her, and easily excited.

"That's why Neji deals with Hizashi and I deal with Hatomi," Tenten said.

More chuckles as Hizashi pouted and Hatomi rolled her eyes. Raw pork, fish, vegetables, and tofu were brought to their table along with drinks and cooked rice. They began grilling, eating, talking, and laughing. They became serious when an ANBU operative approached Naruto with a missive. Naruto read it over and frowned.

Tenten put a piece of broccoli in her mouth, chewing slowly as Naruto considered the note.

"I'll see to it in the morning. Just leave this on my desk," Naruto said.

The ANBU nodded, took the missive back then disappeared.

"What was that about?" Sakura questioned.

Naruto smiled but Tenten could tell the Seventh was tense.

"Nothing, nothing, let's enjoy each other's company, huh?"

The jokes came back though not as often as before. The laughter was not as bright but Tenten went along with it. Naruto did need _some_ times when he didn't have to think about his Hokage duties. They parted. Tenten waved to Hatomi as she walked off with Sakura, Sarada, and Chocho for a sleep over. She would meet up with Sakura later.

Hatomi, brilliant as she was, had packed a big white bag with all her toiletries, her night clothes, and likely more clothes than she would need for tomorrow. Hatomi liked having options though. Tenten leaned against Neji when he took his hand in hers and together they watched Hatomi head towards Sakura's house. Hizashi went with Boruto, Metal, Mitsuki, Shikadai, and Inojin towards the Uzumaki family home. Just Shi and Shun would be with them tonight which was fine with Tenten.

Besides, they would all have to get used to the possibility of Hatomi and Hizashi not being around for breakfast. Lee would make the two get up way early so unless it was the weekend, Tenten would hardly see her first set of twins. She blinked away tears as she lost sight of Hatomi and Hizashi.

Her kids could take care of themselves.

* * *

"He didn't even _come,_ "

Hatomi glanced up as Sarada scowled. The Uchiha paced in front of her bed, still in her graduating attire and what Hatomi knew would become Sarada's shinobi attire: purple thigh high tights, purple arm warmers, a red qipao shirt with the Uchiha crest on the back, and pale purple shorts. She even kept her hitai-ate on.

Hatomi hadn't taken off her outfit yet nor had Chocho but they did sit on Sarada's bed watching the Uchiha pacing. Hatomi knew who Sarada spoke about though Chocho questioned. Sarada confirmed Hatomi's thoughts by telling Chocho she meant her papa.

"Oh, right," Chocho muttered, flushing.

"Why didn't he come?" Sarada asked.

"He is on an extended mission. Perhaps he could not get away," Hatomi said.

She knew all about what Uchiha Sasuke was doing. She and Hizashi had found out about it last month to see if they could find the man so he could see Sarada graduate. Hatomi also knew perhaps an iota of what Sarada felt.

Father went away on missions lasting a week, perhaps two but never _years._ Uchiha Sasuke had not been around since Sarada had been too young to remember him. According to mother, he had not come to see Sarada born and visited once when Sarada was two.

"Even still, it was my academy graduation! He's missed _everything_ else in my life, the least he could have done was be here for that!"

Hatomi did not argue with Sarada's logic. She had sound points. Hatomi watched as Sarada stopped pacing and turned to Chocho and Hatomi. Chocho stopped crunching on the popcorn in front of her. Hatomi tilted her head to a side and waited.

"I'm going to go find him," Sarada said.

Hatomi with Hizashi's help had not been able to locate Sasuke and they had information on his whereabouts thanks to missives. Odd though Sasuke never sent mail or messages to his family the same time he sent updates to Naruto-sama. She would ask Sasuke about it the first chance she got. First though: dealing with Sarada.

"Are you insane?" Hatomi questioned.

Sarada pulled a black bag out from under her bed. Hatomi scowled as Sarada began packing the bag with clothes, a sleeping blanket, and other supplies. The bag was all ready half full of ration bars.

"No, I'm not insane, Hatomi," Sarada said. "I just want to see my papa and maybe give him a piece of my mind."

Hatomi scowled as Sarada shouldered the bag. Hatomi could agree with giving Sasuke a piece of her mind but...

"By becoming a missing-nin?" Hatomi asked.

This stopped Sarada's steps. Hatomi knew it would have. She raised an eyebrow when Sarada glared at her.

"What do you mean?" Sarada returned.

Hatomi refrained from rolling her eyes at her friend. Sarada had not inherited her father's supposed genius, instead needing hard work to place a little above average in the Academy.

"You will be leaving the village on your own without permission from the Hokage which makes you a missing-nin," Hatomi said.

Sarada huffed. Hatomi watched as Sarada went back to her dresser, scribbled something on a notepad then placed the notepad on her pillows. Hatomi read the paper:

 _Mom,_

 _I'm leaving the village for now but I will be coming back. I just want to see papa for once. I'm not abandoning the village and I'm not trying to become a missing-nin._

 _Neither are Hatomi or Chocho._

 _Love,_

 _Sarada_

"What is this "neither are Hatomi and Chocho" business?" Hatomi questioned.

Chocho gaped but Hatomi ignored her. Hatomi did not want to go on some illegal mission to bring back a man her mother should have filled with senbon. This was Sarada's stupid idea. Hatomi would not get in trouble or risk her entire shinobi career on an idiotic idea.

"Fine, then I'll scratch that line out and go alone," Sarada said.

Hatomi caught Sarada's wrist as her friend went to do so. Sarada met Hatomi's eyes and Hatomi refrained from sighing. She could not let Sarada go off on this _alone_. Sarada would be killed. Besides, Sarada would never find her father without a tracker or sensory shinobi or an _idea_ of where the man might be.

"Fine, we will come with you. But, we will take a week to go hunting for him before returning to Konoha. If we do not find him in a week then it will no longer be mine or Chocho's problem," Hatomi said.

"Deal," Sarada said.

"Uh, when did I sign up for this?" Chocho asked.

"The same time I did," Hatomi told the larger girl. "Also, I am in charge."

Sarada rolled her eyes but Hatomi raised an eyebrow in challenge. Sarada smiled but nodded. Chocho groaned.

"Deal, let's go," Sarada said.

"Hn,"

Hatomi lifted her bag, glad she had packed a few outfits to choose from tomorrow. She also had her toiletries and an extra blanket as she tended to get cold on the floor. Sarada would have enough ration bars for them plus they could forage. She watched as Chocho shouldered her bag.

Hatomi activated Byakugan to see Sakura-sama still talking with Ino-sama, Temari-sama, Hinata-obasan and mother downstairs. Hatomi put on the radio, low then went to the window.

"Follow my lead," Hatomi said.

She opened the window then leaped out of it. Sarada and Chocho did not linger and soon they were running across the roof tops and heading towards the wall surrounding Konoha. Hatomi had to slow her pace so Sarada and Chocho could keep up but did not bother to argue. Hatomi gave pause when they reached the last roof located directly under the wall.

"Why aren't we going through the main gate?" Chocho asked.

"This is not an approved mission. We must sneak out. Jump when I jump," Hatomi replied.

She watched the guards six yards above her as they crossed over their hiding spot without looking down. The guards stopped to talk for a moment and Hatomi waited, coiled to spring. Finally, the guards parted.

She leaped when the duo were six yards apart, landed softly then took off across the wall, leaping over the steel rail and landing in the forest a moment later. She had landed on a tree branch, completely undetected.

Sarada had landed softly on the wall but had to hit the ground and run into the forest. Chocho had not hit the wall quietly but she rolled off the wall before either guard could turn to spot her. Chocho landed with a second thud on the ground but made it behind Sarada half a minute later.

Hatomi landed in front of her two friends, scanning the wall. She scowled.

"They are going to be looking, follow," Hatomi said.

She took off. Sarada and Chocho came after her and soon they cleared Konoha's wall. They were out of sight of Konoha's guards a mile after that but Hatomi kept moving. No one followed but she did not want to take the chance.

The more ground they covered at speed then the less of a chance anyone would find them. If Sakura-sama went upstairs in three hours to say good-night to them then the entire village would be on them in three and a half hours. Hatomi scowled.

Kiba-sama would sniff them out. Father would _see_ them well before she saw him since he had a vision perimeter of eight hundred meters while she could see five hundred. They would be caught by morning. Hatomi shook her head. Not while she led.

She turned her path and her friends followed. Hatomi spotted what she looked for a moment later and grinned. Sarada and Chocho stopped behind her when Hatomi splashed into the river. The water washed over her feet, cool, and chilled her up to her knees.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Sarada asked.

"Following the river will stop Kiba-sama from smelling us," Hatomi replied.

Sarada would have never made it out of the village. Hatomi nodded when Sarada jumped into the river. Chocho came after a moment, pouting, and Hatomi took off again.

"Can't we run above the water?" Chocho questioned after half a mile.

"No as it will waste our charka. I intend to keep going until tomorrow night so we have a large lead and keep it," Hatomi said.

Chocho groaned but did not stop running. They ran through the river for miles before taking a left fork. Hatomi slowed to a stop as the sun began to come up. She was soaked from the middle of her chest down to her feet in chilly water. Chocho panted where they stood but Sarada simply looked around.

"Do you know where your father might be?" Hatomi questioned.

"No, not really," Sarada said.

Hatomi sighed. As it was they were headed for what used to be the Hidden Sound. Now the entire "country" was nothing but abandoned buildings, desolate villages, and overgrown everything. Orochimaru had a base there he still used and some of the missives to Naruto-sama from Sasuke had come from Orochimaru's bases. Perhaps they could track down Sarada's father with Orochimaru's help.

"We will head for Orochimaru's base in what used to be the Hidden Sound. If anyone knows the exact whereabouts of your father, it will be Orochimaru," Hatomi said.

She saw Sarada grinning. Hatomi almost told Sarada how she knew all this but kept quiet. Sarada would not believe Hatomi even with Hizashi's help. Sarada had to see information for herself before making judgements. Hatomi did appreciate this personality trait in her friend most of the time. Not this time though.

"This is why I wanted you to come," Sarada said.

"Hn,"

Hatomi started moving again, much to Chocho's annoyance. They kept moving well into the morning and it was not until near noon Hatomi called for a stop. They rode the edge of the border between Sound and Leaf. Border guards were lax here since no one came in from Sound but even so they would have to be careful.

"This way," Hatomi said.

Chocho moaned again but Hatomi pressed forward, eyes peeled for any guards in her five hundred meter perimeter. They came into the Sound without being molested. Hatomi knew Orochimaru did not have his base close to the border but they would be there before dinner time in four hours. Perhaps he would have some food for them and a warm bath.

"Can we _please_ take a break?" Chocho asked.

She huffed and puffed, sweat pouring down her face and legs trembling. Hatomi sighed. Sarada frowned.

"Can you last four more hours? We are not far from the base," Hatomi said.

Chocho sighed. She nodded when Sarada gave her a pleading look. Hatomi continued forward. Hatomi tried not to think of what her mother and father would say to her when she returned in a week. They would ground her instantly for months. Well, if Sarada got to meet her father it would be worth it. At least she hoped.

Something flicked to her right and she shifted her eyes to that area. Hatomi refocused her vision then gaped. She almost tripped over her feet but managed to catch her body before tumbling. Her misstep did make Sarada and Chocho still and stare at her.

"Sarada, you and your father are the only Uchiha left, correct?" Hatomi questioned.

"Uh, yeah," Sarada said.

Hatomi knew it. She had learned it with all the others and it had been affirmed by father many times. Even so, coming towards them was a man of average height and size with _Sharingan_ eyes. He could not be Uchiha Sasuke. Hatomi did not need Hizashi's colored Byakugan vision to know this.

The man coming towards them was _not_ missing his left arm nor did he have a morphed Sharingan and Rinnegan in the left eye. He did not carry a sword either nor did he have the hair Sasuke had: to the shoulders but spiky. No, this man has slicked back hair that touched the nape of his neck. He would be on them in minutes.

"What's wrong?" Sarada asked.

"A man with Sharingan is coming towards us but it is not your father," Hatomi said.

Hatomi kept her gaze on the stranger as she saw Sarada gape. Chocho scratched her head in confusion.

"But, how?" Chocho questioned.

"I do not know but the man heading towards us is not wearing a sword and does not have the Rinnegan Sharingan mix in his left eye. He also has his left arm. This is _not_ Uchiha Sasuke," Hatomi said.

Sarada bit her lip. Hatomi scowled as the man kept coming towards them. He seemed to be able to sense them, likely because of Sarada. Uchiha blood might call to Uchiha blood. Hatomi narrowed her eyes.

"What do we do?" Sarada enquired.

"Wait for him. He might know something of your father," Hatomi said.

She kept watching as the man came closer. Chocho regained her breath. Sarada kept a hand on her weapons pouch but Hatomi stood loose and ready to fight if needed. The man landed on a tree branch five yards above them and stared.

"A Byakugan user, hm?" the man said.

"You should not exist," Hatomi told him.

He nodded.

"But I am as real as you," the man said, Sharingan eyes swirling.

Hatomi did not feel the push of genjutsu on her and kept watching as the man landed. He cracked his neck then gave them a little sigh.

"I hoped not to have any trouble in this but I assume you will give me trouble, Byakugan user and Akimichi. I am here to bring Uchiha Sarada to my father,"

Hatomi fell into a fighting stance. Sarada drew a kunai from her weapon pouch as Chocho licked her lips before getting into a fighting stance. The man moved. Kami, he was quick but Hatomi had not spent half her life training with her father for nothing. She moved.

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms: two strikes!"

She hit both tenketsu before the bastard could counter. Sharingan eyes went wide but she was not finished yet.

"Four strikes!"

More chakra was cut off as Hatomi hit him four times. Sarada and Chocho stared at her in wonder and Hatomi refrained from grinning. There was a good reason she had the top marks in the Academy (with Hizashi close to her) by leaps and bounds.

"Eight strikes!"

On strike six, the man caught her right hand. Hatomi lashed out with her left but he punched her in the stomach before her hit could land. Hatomi felt pain through her abdomen but did not let it detour her. Father and mother _did not_ raise a weak kunoichi who could not take a hit.

Hatomi kicked with her right leg, hitting the man's arm and cracking his elbow into an awkward position which made him let go of her right arm. She lashed out, missing the intended tenketsu point but hitting one on his arm. It meant any jutsu he tried would be horribly affected.

He kicked her in the knee but she kept the wince off her face as she struck out with both hands, intending to hit more tenketsu. She missed the ones she wanted but disabled two more in his right arm, making the arm dead. He scowled then kicked.

She blocked with her left arm and kept her grimace back at the agony ripping through her arm. Hatomi turned and managed to hit another tenketsu point in his chest. He started having issues breathing. Hatomi lashed out with a kick with the full intention of knocking him back but he caught her ankle and tossed her over his head.

She landed on her opposite foot and ran in at him before he could fully register she had caught herself. He gaped as she closed two tenketsu above his lungs, making his breathing come out heavier. She caught sight of his fist and ducked under it. Hatomi yelped as the man grabbed her loose hair and flung her to a side.

Hatomi rolled up onto her feet and scowled as her scalp stung. She shook her head and went in again but skidded to a stop. A _creature_ had appeared through a pinprick hole behind the man and was now _disappearing_ with the man. The rip in space would engulf her in a moment...

Hatomi cart-wheeled backwards until clearing the rip then watched as the man and the single _Sharingan_ eyed creature disappeared. Hatomi let out a breath, allowing a small wince to cross her face at the shot of pain across her knee and stomach.

"Woah," Chocho said.

"The second reason I wanted you to come," Sarada said.

"Hn,"

Stupid Uchiha. Hatomi should have let Sarada fight. Perhaps she might have manifested the Sharingan by actually being threatened. Too late now.

Hatomi took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Nothing seemed to be broken. She stared at Sarada and Chocho then took off running again. Both followed after a moment and Hatomi frowned. They would have to report this to the Hokage.

Somehow, there were _others_ walking around with the Sharingan, non-Uchiha's who operated under a "father." Hatomi did not like it but nothing could be done about it now. First they would get to Orochimaru then they would (hopefully or this would have been all in vain) they would find Sarada's father. Then they could inform everyone of the odd man and the strange looking creature.

* * *

Tenten tried not to scream as she kept following Neji through the forest. The news had come in at one in the morning when Sakura went to check on the girls. All three had gone on an unapproved mission to find Uchiha Sasuke.

Tenten had a feeling Sarada would've left the village to find her father but had _no idea_ her normally brilliant Hatomi would go _with_ the Uchiha girl and take Chocho along for the ride. Neji had told her Hatomi had likely gone because she knew Sarada wouldn't have made it past the gates by herself, never mind surviving out in the wild while trying to find her father.

He was right but Tenten hated knowing it. She should've filled Sasuke with senbon when she had the chance. Stupid Uchiha.

"Damn it,"

This wasn't something she needed to hear from Kiba. She and Neji landed beside Kiba and Akamaru who kept sniffing at the ground. A river flowed in front of them and Tenten had a feeling her daughter had outsmarted them.

"The trail ends right on the river bank," Kiba said.

"Of course Hatomi would run through the nearest river," Tenten muttered.

"We did train her well," Neji said.

Kiba snorted at both of them before standing. The trail was all ready _hours_ old. If the girls managed to keep the pace Hatomi had set they could make it all the way into any of Konoha's surrounding countries by noon.

"Neji, which way would Hatomi have taken the girls?" Tenten asked.

Kiba looked surprised by Tenten's question but if anyone in Konoha could figure out Hatomi's thought process it would be her father. Neji considered, white eyes looking straight ahead, somewhere past Kiba but Tenten knew Neji could see her, Kiba, Akamaru, Lee, Naruto, and Sakura as well as eight hundred meters all around.

"Orochimaru's base in Sound is closest to this spot. If Sarada does not know where Sasuke is then Hatomi will logically go to Orochimaru to see if he knows where Sasuke is," Neji said.

"Makes sense," Naruto said.

Sakura nodded. She had been apologizing for most of the way until Neji told her (not kindly) to shut up. Sakura had wilted but Naruto didn't say anything to Neji, neither did Kiba or Lee. Tenten didn't even look at him.

Hizashi, Shi, and Shun were staying with Yusa and Metal for now but the bigger issue was three teams couldn't even take the test to see if they did qualify for genin. The fact all the civilian teams might fail didn't help matters. They wouldn't even know until they got back to Konoha unless Shikamaru deemed it important enough to call Naruto.

Then it would depend if Naruto's phone would even pick up the signal. Tenten doubted it. The further from Konoha they traveled then the less signal any of them would get.

"Shall we?" Neji questioned.

He didn't wait for an answer. He disappeared into the trees but Tenten was quick to follow her husband. Lee kept pace with them but Sakura, Naruto, and Kiba fell back. Neji didn't want to go slow in finding his princess and Team Guy had always been the quickest of the teams.

"Where is Sasuke anyway?" Tenten asked as they moved.

"Ah, he's supposed to be in Sound with Orochimaru before coming to meet me in Konoha," Naruto said.

"So we might run into him?" Kiba questioned.

"Definitely. If not, the girls will," Naruto said.

It was some small comfort. No one spoke as they continued to move. The sun moved across the sky and Tenten cursed it. Every minute they wasted was a minute Hatomi, Sarada, and Chocho would be moving along. The girls would reach Orochimaru's base by five today. Her, Neji, Lee, Naruto, Kiba, and Sakura wouldn't hit it until ten or later.

Orochimaru wouldn't know to keep the girls there until the night was done. Knowing Hatomi she would stop long enough for food and a warm bath. Maybe, _maybe_ , they would stay overnight. Tenten kept this hope in her mind. It would drive her forward without fail.

* * *

Hatomi frowned at the person in front of her. The person stood tall, about the same height as father with dark, straight hair tied in a low pony tail and two bits framing the pale skin. Golden eyes, the same color of Mitsuki's eyes stared back at her except _these_ eyes had a black slit pupil and were surrounded by black markings.

The person wore a black kimono with a high collar and a white long sleeved haori over it, all held together by a purple rope belt. The same sort of grin on this person's face appeared on Mitsuki's face multiple times.

"Hello young ones," the person said.

Hatomi could not tell if this person was male or female. She could use her Byakugan to check but she did not want to appear rude. Even so, this person would bring them to Orochimaru.

"Hello. We need to speak to Orochimaru," Hatomi said.

"Then speak," the person said.

Hatomi blinked. She glanced towards Sarada and Chocho who looked as stunned as Hatomi felt. Hatomi would not show her shock to this person. Father had taught her better than that. She did know this person could not be Orochimaru. They looked much too young to be over sixty.

"You are not Orochimaru," Hatomi said.

The person chuckled. Hatomi took a step back as the person opened their mouth. Their tongue elongated like a snake as did their _neck._ Sarada and Chocho hid behind Hatomi as she activated her Byakugan and stood her ground.

"Ah, a Hyuuga. I thought ssso. You mussst be Neji'sss child, well one of them. Hatomi, correct?"

Hatomi scowled but nodded. The person pulled their tongue back into their mouth and their head back in proper position on their neck. Hatomi hated to admit it but only _one_ shinobi in the world could pull the same trick so effortlessly.

"We are looking for Sarada's father," Hatomi said.

Orochimaru chuckled. Hatomi _knew_ Orochimaru was male but he certainly did not look male. He was too soft to be male with the incorrect features, certain _wrongness_ about him Hatomi did not like.

"Sasuke is partaking in dinner. Come, I will show you where," Orochimaru said.

Hatomi deactivated her Byakugan and strode forward. She stopped, as did Orochimaru, when a chakra flare came from behind. Hatomi watched in awe as Sarada's Sharingan manifested as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Sarada," Hatomi said.

"I'm just so, so," Sarada said.

"Emotional," Orochimaru offered with a smirk.

Sarada gaped. Hatomi snorted but nodded to the strange looking man. He snickered at her and strode ahead in the snake-like maze. Chocho kept staring between Orochimaru and Sarada, not sure of which was more shocking.

They passed no one which Hatomi found odd. She did not remark on it, mentally memorizing their route so she could get them out of here if they needed to. She knew Orochimaru watched her despite not looking at her directly but did not care. She would never let her guard down. She stopped in front of a large set of double doors because Orochimaru stopped.

"He's in here," Orochimaru said.

Sarada took a step forward but Orochimaru held up a hand. Sarada, Sharingan still active, stared at Orochimaru who chuckled again.

"Let me give him a warning, hm?"

Orochimaru slipped through the doors, snakelike, and Hatomi frowned when the doors closed. She tried pushing against them but they did not move. Hatomi activated her Byakugan and saw Orochimaru walking across the airy room towards a single table with one man sitting at it.

The man stood a little shorter than Orochimaru, was missing his left arm, and wore a sword on his left hip. She could not see the merged left eye as the man did not have either eye activated. The new man looked stunned in the same way father would look stunned.

Orochimaru turned and began heading back towards them. Hatomi did not bother deactivating her Byakugan when Orochimaru opened the door. He smiled at her and allowed them entrance with a sweeping gesture. Sarada ran in first and Hatomi followed, having to pull Chocho behind her. Hatomi did deactivate her Byakugan.

"Papa,"

Sarada wrapped her arms around her father, crying into his shoulder. His remaining right arm did not come up to hug her; in fact, all he did was blink and frown. Hatomi strode towards the table, grabbing a plate when she got close enough and filling it with food. Chocho took her lead as Sarada kept hugging her father.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke questioned.

Hatomi noticed Orochimaru had come to stand by the table. Sarada pulled back from her father and blinked. She wiped the tears from under her Sharingan eyes and took a deep breath.

"You didn't come to see me graduate from the Academy. Look, a hitai-ate and everything but you weren't _there_. I don't expect you to be there for everything but my graduation would've been nice," Sarada said.

Hatomi gave thanks under her breath before eating delicately. Chocho didn't understand the meaning of delicate but Hatomi ignored the other girl, focusing on Sarada and Sasuke. Sasuke let out a breath.

"I had more important issues to attend to," Sasuke said.

Kami she hated this man. She _knew_ all about missions and his life. Hizashi and she hadn't snuck around the Hokage tower last month to learn _nothing._ They had been trying to help Sarada after all as she deserved to have her father witness her graduate.

Hatomi saw the moment Sarada's eyes went from angry to reject. Sarada sat on the bench beside her father, straddling it and her shoulders sagged forward. Chocho had stopped eating. Hatomi gritted her teeth together before meeting Sasuke's eyes.

"What issue is more important than your _only child's_ graduation from the Academy?" Hatomi questioned.

Hatomi noticed Orochimaru smirk and raise an eyebrow. She disregarded the odd man as Sasuke turned to meet her eyes. Hatomi widened them so Sasuke could see the full effect of her pupil-less gaze.

"Hyuuga," Sasuke said.

"Hyuuga Hatomi: the daughter of Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga Tenten and one of your daughter's best friends. Ah, but you would know this if you came to _visit_ your family," Hatomi said.

Orochimaru snickered as Sasuke's eyes widened a bit. The male Uchiha scowled a moment later.

"There are issues larger than me being in Konoha for a graduation happening. As shinobi you should all realize this," Sasuke said.

"And we do," Hatomi said. "But if you have been here for about a day which I surmise you have been based on your clothing and general appearance, the _least_ you could have done was called. I saw three phones coming to this room as well as two computers attached to a network, one of which had an email client open. So, what exactly was stopping you from contacting your daughter on one of the most important days of her life thus far, hm?"

Sasuke gaped. Orochimaru kept giggling. Sarada stared at her father in awe. Chocho gulped.

"My father is a shinobi as well, a hero from the Fourth Shinobi War, but he was there my entire life to raise me and my brothers. Honestly, what _is_ your excuse?"

Sasuke kept opening and closing his mouth, obviously unsure of what to say. Sarada let out a breath then got up and sat beside Hatomi, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at her father.

"I understand you may have a deathly important mission but to not even send a _letter_ to your daughter on her birthday or the holidays, to not even bother to take a minute to _email_ her where you could. What kind of father are you?"

Silence broken but someone else's laugh. Hatomi shifted her eyes to see a white haired, pale man with purple eyes coming into the room. He wore black pants and a black shirt, kimono like but casual.

"Wow, that's the first time I've heard anyone talk like that to you, Sasuke," the man said.

"Suigetsu, how nice of you to join us," Orochimaru said.

Hatomi disregarded the new man and turned her attention back to Sasuke who still stared at her in wonder. Sasuke scowled.

"I can tell you are Neji's daughter. You have his same bluntness," Sasuke said.

"You have not answered a single one of my questions," Hatomi said. "I see now why my father and mother do not hold you in high regard."

Sasuke glared at her but Hatomi put a piece of grilled fish into her mouth. She had no fear towards this man. If he attacked her, well, there were others around to stop him. Besides, if Sasuke _did_ attack her it would prove to Sarada what kind of man her father was.

"There are rumors about others walking around with the Sharingan thanks to one of Orochimaru's experiments gone astray. I am investigating those rumors as well as the rumors of the Akatsuki being resurrected. Could I email my family? No. I live mostly in the woods. Even if I could it may give away my position at any given time. I didn't choose to spend most of Sarada's life away from her," Sasuke said.

Hatomi studied his face then snorted. She ignored Suigetsu who had sat at the table near her to watch with a smile on his face which revealed shark-like teeth.

"But you also chose not to travel back to Konoha and give Naruto-sama a live update," Hatomi said. "I know Naruto-sama offered to give you a break a few times but you declined. For some reason, you kept in contact with him many times over the months, years, but never bothered to send you wife and daughter a single message. Do _not_ assume I ask my questions without a solid understanding of the situation, Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes widened and his lips parted. Sarada gaped. Hatomi nodded when the Uchiha girl looked at her in confirmation. Sarada made to get to her feet to take off but Hatomi grabbed her friend's wrist.

"You are the one who wished to come here to yell at your father for being such an ingrate. I will not tolerate you leaving," Hatomi said without removing her gaze from Sasuke's.

Sarada sat. Sasuke glared at Hatomi but she let go of Sarada's wrist and popped some rice into her mouth.

"Well?" Hatomi questioned.

"How do you even—" Sasuke tried.

"I have my mother's curiosity mixed with my father's intelligence as does my brother. He happens to excel at detecting and deactivating traps as I happen to excel with the Byakugan. Last month we decided to infiltrate the Konoha record rooms and Naruto-sama's office to see what kind of mission you were on and where you might be so we could implore you to see Sarada on graduation day. So I ask: if you were so willing to risk your position to inform Naruto-sama, why not send along a note for your family _with_ the message going to Naruto-sama? Why would this have been so difficult for you?"

Hatomi did not care both Orochimaru and Suigetsu watched with wide eyes and dropped mouths. Chocho was stunned enough she was not eating. Sarada looked like she wanted to kill something then burst into tears. Hatomi did not blame her friend in this.

Sasuke looked ready to relieve his stomach of its contents. Hatomi ate a bit more rice and continued to wait. She finished the bowl of rice in her hand and raised an eyebrow at Sasuke.

"Well?" Hatomi questioned.

Sasuke sighed. Hatomi tilted her head to a side and waited. Sarada trembled, tears rolling down her cheeks but her expression was determined. Chocho had started nibbling. Suigetsu and Orochimaru leaned slightly forward, eagerly waiting Sasuke's reply.

"Because I don't deserve happiness after all the pain I caused," Sasuke said.

Hatomi blinked. She could not help it. She started giggling. Apparently her reaction was not in Sasuke's list of predetermined reactions for her as he stared in awe. She got a hold of herself and shook her head.

"What a wonderful way to atone for your sins: completely _ignoring_ the people who love you the most. Kami, perhaps my father should have tried that after almost killing my aunt or teasing Rock Lee for a year since you know, _talking and connecting_ to the people you hurt is not the way to repair broken bridges," Hatomi said.

Suigetsu started chuckling but covered his mouth with both hands. Orochimaru smirked. Hatomi sighed and shook her head.

"You, Uchiha Sasuke, are more of a dolt than my brother. Kami, no wonder mother wanted to fill you with senbon and why father wants to beat you to a pulp. You deserve it," Hatomi said.

She stood, not caring Sasuke kept gaping at her. Hatomi turned to Orochimaru who kept grinning at her.

"Thank you for the meal Orochimaru-sama and for your hospitality. If it is no problem: is there a place where Sarada, Chocho, and I can get a warm bath and rest before we head back to Konoha?" Hatomi questioned.

Orochimaru blinked at her and his lips parted. He started laughing as if she had told the most hilarious joke in the world but Hatomi waited. Finally, Orochimaru wiped the tears from his eyes but nodded.

"It's no issue, Hatomi-chan. Come, this way. Sarada-chan and Chocho-chan can join you when they are finished with their meal," Orochimaru said.

Hatomi bowed to him, low enough, and rose to see him grinning.

"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama," Hatomi said.

He nodded and turned on his heel. Hatomi followed him out as Suigetsu kept laughing. Hatomi did not bother to turn to see what Sarada or Chocho did. This had been a complete waste of time. Still.

Sarada would not have believed Hizashi and Hatomi if they simply _told_ Sarada what an ingrate her father was. No, this was the better of two evils so to speak. Now Sarada had seen for herself. Hatomi followed Orochimaru into the hallway, letting the door close behind her softly.

"My, my, what a powerful spirit you have," Orochimaru said.

"Hn,"

He chuckled.

"Like your father and mother. I was after dojutsu when your parents were around your age. I would have gone for your father's eyes but I could all ready tell he would have been too stubborn,"

"Hn,"

Father would have killed Orochimaru the first chance he got. The entire situation would have been so different Hatomi could not even fathom it. Perhaps Sarada would not being going through so much pain as her father would not being stupid in atoning for sins.

"What you did in there though: superb. I am sure your father would have said the same if he knew the same,"

"Hn,"

She knew father would have. Father did not have the same knowledge she and Hizashi had though. But even with bits and pieces father would have verbally beaten the idiot Sasuke. Then mother would have filled him with senbon and Sarada could forget about the man.

"Well, here you are: a room with an attached bathroom. I will bring Sarada and Chocho to the rooms next door. Enjoy,"

"Thank you,"

She bowed at him again before entering the room. A double bed sat against one wall made up with white sheets which looked blinding against the deep brown snake-like walls. There was a white dresser and a white night side table an open door leading to a bathroom in all white. A lamp sat on the night stand. A standard room but it had empty feeling. Hatomi looked to see Orochimaru had left, allowing her to shut the door. Hatomi did so with a frown. What a strange host.

* * *

Tenten landed in front of Orochimaru's base a few seconds behind Neji who had landed a moment before Lee. Kiba, Akamaru, Naruto, and Sakura landed almost a full minute later but had to press to catch up to Neji who kept running until he hit the closed door.

He pounded on it. Tenten let out a breath as they waited. Lee was shifting from foot to foot as Neji scowled at the door. If Neji's looks could burn he would have gotten a hole in the door by now. Tenten could tell Neji was two seconds away from Vacuum Palming the door when it swung open to reveal Orochimaru.

"Ah, I figured you would be here shortly. Hatomi, Sarada, and Chocho have taken over a room and are having a girl talk. Sasuke is still here, fuming about what Hatomi said to him at dinner. Naruto, you apparently need better traps in place on your office door and the record room, especially since a twelve year old genin and her twin brother can break into the place and find information about Sasuke's mission,"

Too much information to process all at once and Tenten saw everyone felt the same. Neji processed first, either that or he simply shoved it all into the appropriate folders in his brain to look at later, and he stepped into Orochimaru's base.

Tenten followed after him a moment later with Lee on her heels. Naruto, Kiba, and Sakura took an extra few seconds. Orochimaru gave a brief overview of Hatomi's dinner conversation with Sasuke and Tenten was caught between laughing and wanting to smack her daughter upside the head.

It was sweet Hatomi and Hizashi had wanted to get Sasuke to the graduation. Not so sweet was the fact the broke into the Hokage's office and the record room to look at top secret documents. Also not so great was learning Sasuke kept in constant communication with Naruto without messaging his family _once_.

The funniest part was Hatomi had _completely floored_ Sasuke, going so far as to calling him a dolt when he said he felt like he didn't deserve happiness and was atoning for his sins. She had used _sarcasm_ on it. Tenten couldn't help but feel proud at her daughter as Orochimaru gushed over Hatomi.

"She is such a brilliant girl, excellent with her words, and so polite! You two raised her well," Orochimaru finished.

He knocked on a door. Tenten felt her body sag as Hatomi was revealed in the open doorway. Hatomi had bathed, brushed out her hair to let it air dry around her shoulders, and was dressed in her sleepwear: a pair of pink short shorts and a pink tank top.

"I am not sure whether I should be yelling at you or hugging you," Neji said, breaking the awkward silence.

Hatomi raised her eyebrow and her lips quirked into the tiniest of smirks. Tenten wanted to sit down on the floor to get a hold of her thoughts and emotions. She would need a few minutes.

"I would suspect both," Hatomi said.

Neji sighed. Tenten started laughing when he pulled Hatomi into a tight hug. Hatomi wrapped her arms around her father's waist and Tenten spotted her burrowing her head into Neji's chest. He patted her hair gently, Byakugan deactivating as he had found her safe and sound. Tenten draped her body around both of theirs and Lee joined after a moment, sobbing and going on about youth.

They all pulled back and Neji casually smacked Hatomi upside the back of the head. She yelped then pouted at her father, holding the back of her head in both hands. Tenten decided to ignore Orochimaru who had started laughing.

"That was for leaving Konoha in the first place. I would hit you for breaking into Naruto's office and the record room but the fact you verbally put Uchiha Sasuke in his place because of it makes me proud so it negates that particular hit.

"Even so when we return to the Village you and your brother will be grounded for a month. All your lives will consist of is training, eating, doing whatever chore your mother and I tell you to do, and sleeping. I will be training with you but I will _not_ be going easy on you. Consider it punishment, not help. Neither of you will receive your weekly allowances and whatever money you may make from missions will come straight to your mother and me.

"You will get an extra month of being grounded for leaving Konoha in the first place. Is there anything you wish to say?"

Tenten pursed her lips to keep from laughing. Naruto, Kiba, Lee, and Sakura had deadpanned. Orochimaru giggled like a child. Hatomi blinked at her father then let out a breath.

"No," Hatomi said.

"Hn,"

Tenten laughed when he hugged Hatomi again. Sarada came to the door and Tenten winced. Sarada's eyes were red from Sharingan but also from crying. Her cheeks were covered in tear streaks and it looked like someone had punched her in the face with how puffy her eyes were. Tenten shifted to a side as Sakura moved forward to wrap her daughter into her arms.

Tenten had a feeling it would be a long night for everyone. She didn't mind. Hatomi was safe and sound. Sarada had found out a lot about her father which she probably regretted knowing. Tenten put a hand on Neji's shoulder and saw him smile.

Hatomi was safe. That's all that mattered.

* * *

Neji's parenting for the win. Don't worry the whole Shin experiment thing will be mentioned next chapter. See, except _now_ when they go to fight all those clones they've got Neji, Tenten, Lee, and Kiba. Hehe.

Reviews welcome.


	17. Sharingan Eyes

**Sharingan Eyes**

 **Author's note:** So I've been writing this in lui of my original super hero fiction. I think it's because I'm free writing this with no solid ending in mind while all my other fiction has its major points planned out from beginning to end. Writing a planned story can get boring after a while.

Anyway, we're not time skipping right away. We're the same day with Hatomi, Sarada, Chocho, Neji, Tenten, Lee, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Kiba, Suigetsu, and Orochimaru.

Moving on.

Again: I AM NOT EVEN LOOKING at the canon. So the whole Sarada extra chapter is being completely changed because well, it didn't make sense and now there are four Hyuuga kids thanks to Neji and Tenten. And the Shin simply backing down because Naruto shows them Kurama? COME ON.

Also: All of this is pre-written. I might be tweaking some stuff here and there in 2nd round edits before I put a chapter up but besides that I'm up to like chapter 40-something with this fic. So no worries, we'll be here for a while after the mini-break in November. :)

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

* * *

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

Hatomi sighed as she sat with Sarada and Chocho in a large room filled with laboratory equipment. Suigetsu manned one machine but apparently it did not have to be watched so intently because he kept staring at them with a smile on his face wide enough to show the sharp teeth. Hatomi had no doubts about being able to beat him if it came to it.

Still, she did not appreciate being stared at so intently. She also did not appreciate being left out of the meeting her mother, father, Naruto-sama, Sakura-sama, Lee-sama, Kiba-sama, Sasuke, and Orochimaru were having. Breakfast being awkward had not helped and Hatomi had likely made it worse by mentioning the man with the Sharingan. Now, she was bored, annoyed, and wished she had argued against Sarada's logic a bit more.

"So, you broke into the Hokage's office, huh?" Suigetsu asked.

"Hn,"

Suigetsu kept smiling and rolled his chair closer to them. Hatomi raised an eyebrow, keeping the rest of her expression neutral.

"How?" Suigetsu questioned.

Hatomi raised her eyebrow a bit further.

"As if I would tell a shinobi I do not know personally how I broke into the Hokage's office," Hatomi said.

Suigetsu laughed. Hatomi did not feel affronted. She did look to Sarada who stared at the ground listlessly and Chocho who munched on lightly salted chips.

"Man, you're good, kid. I'm glad your dad was saved during the war," Suigetsu said.

Hatomi frowned but said nothing. Suigetsu left the statement in the air, teeth still showing and eyes glittering in amusement. He was baiting her. Hatomi snorted and crossed her arms under her bust, closing her eyes and activating her Byakugan enough so she could still see what was going on around her but without indicating it. The veins did not pop up around her eyes. Father had taught her and Hizashi this trick last year. It had been difficult to master.

"I read all about the war," Hatomi said.

"Reading and being there are two entirely different things," Suigetsu told her.

Hatomi opened her eyes and scowled. Suigetsu had been in the war but so had mother and father. Mother and father did not speak much about those days. Apparently Suigetsu was willing to.

"What of it?" Hatomi questioned.

She would never ask him outright. Suigetsu shrugged and his smile went down a notch to stop showing the frightfully sharp teeth. The smaller smile put her on edge more than the smile which showed his teeth.

"Oh, nothing really. I just know more about what Sasuke did before the war then any stupid book," Suigetsu said.

Hatomi glared at him as Sarada perked up and her eyes went wide. Her Sharingan had deactivated during the night. Hatomi had not seen it but Sarada had woken up with onyx eyes instead of the single tome red eye.

"He tried to destroy Konoha, joined the Akatsuki, and generally wrecked havoc everywhere he went until joining in the war party, helping to defeat enemies then going back to trying to kill Naruto-sama which resulted in them losing an arm each. I doubt we need to know the details unless he kicked puppies or kittens. I happen to enjoy cute animals," Hatomi said.

Suigetsu stared at her for a moment, wide eyed and lips parted. He laughed again, full out holding his stomach and slapping the desk beside him laughing. Hatomi let out a breath as he chuckled. He contained himself and smiled his toothy grin at her.

"No, no, he didn't kick puppies or kittens or kill any babies. His mindset was all about killing Itachi and being an 'avenger' as he called it," Suigetsu said.

Hatomi hummed.

"And if he had snuck into record rooms he would have found out his brother killed the Uchiha clan because of an order from the Hokage and Danzo," Hatomi said.

Suigetsu snorted at her, shaking his head.

"Not everything's so easy it comes down to breaking into record rooms," Suigetsu said.

Hatomi smirked. Suigetsu raised his eyebrows at her, grinning.

"Information gathering is the reason shinobi exist. It is our nature to be trained to break into high security buildings undetected, gather all prevalent information, and leave without being seen. It is not my fault everyone focuses on the killing aspect," Hatomi said.

Again he gaped at her. Hatomi watched as he started laughing again. She notice Sarada giving her the "you're so exhausting" look while Chocho kept eating, ignoring the situation around her.

"Ah man, you're awesome, kid, really. I don't usually like kids, especially just-graduated genin but I'll make an exception for you," Suigetsu said.

"Hn,"

He kept chuckling sporadically as he did whatever it was he did with the machines. Apparently living alone with Orochimaru caused people to become strange. Hatomi would not blame anyone in this. Orochimaru was an odd man.

Hatomi did not indicate surprise but Sarada and Chocho did when a red-haired woman with black glasses hiding large red eyes walked into the room. The woman had some of her hair buzzed on the left temple for some odd reason but the rest of the hair was long, trailing down the light purple long sleeved shirt. She wore a dark tie which was frills hanging from her collar really. The shirt exposed a bit of her navel and she paired it with dark pants.

"We have lots of guests, huh?" the woman asked.

"Yep, my favorite is Hyuuga Hatomi, gold eyed skinny girl over there. She gave Sasuke a verbal beatin' last night. You shoulda heard it," Suigetsu said.

Hatomi glared at the woman who glared at her. The woman's eyes went wide then she smirked.

"Hyuuga Hatomi, huh? You must be Neji and Tenten's daughter. Oh, Sarada, hi. And, hm, Akimichi Chocho, right?" the woman questioned.

"Uh, yeah, who are you?" Chocho returned.

"Uzumaki Karin,"

Hatomi kept her face neutral but Sarada gaped while Chocho dropped her chips. Hatomi refrained from rolling her eyes at her friends. They had read all about the Fourth Shinobi War together, had parents that were _in it_ and yet Sarada and Chocho were stunned at meeting the medical-nin who had helped save Tsunade-sama. Karin smirked.

"Well, what are you three doing here?" Karin asked.

Suigetsu began explaining rapidly, waving his hands to and fro and adding some of Hatomi's remarks to Sasuke. Karin's eyebrows went up but she kept the seemingly uninterested frown on her face. When Suigetsu was done he smiled at Karin who hummed.

"So, now they've got you on babysitting duty while they all talk about Shin?" Karin enquired.

Suigetsu sagged forward with a groan as if realizing his predicament now. Hatomi snorted at the pale haired man as he began complaining about his situation. Karin smacked him and Suigetsu's head became water.

Again, Sarada and Chocho gasped. Hatomi raised her eyebrow as Suigetsu reformed with his shark-like smile in place. Karin snorted.

"Who is Shin?" Hatomi questioned.

Suigetsu and Karin stared at her for several moments. Karin waved her hand towards Hatomi dismissively and smirked.

"None of your business, Hatomi," Karin said.

"It is my business since I fought with him and he is after Sarada," Hatomi retorted.

Karin chuckled at her and Hatomi scowled. She had a feeling she might not like this particular war hero.

"You're a _kid_ , okay? This is jonin business," Karin told her.

"I shut down enough of his tenketsu points he was forced to retreat or stop breathing," Hatomi mentioned.

Suigetsu's eyebrows went up while Karin frowned and narrowed her eyes. Sarada and Chocho nodded. Hatomi raised an eyebrow at Karin while lifting her chin a bit. Karin snorted.

"You Hyuuga and your huge egos are such a pain. Just stay put and when your parents are done with their meeting, listen to whatever they tell you to do," Karin said.

Hatomi _hated_ when people spoke to her as if she was incapable of anything. Father and mother talked to her like a functioning person, an almost adult as she was, not some wild preteen who could not follow directions or take care of her and her friends.

"Fine," Hatomi said softly.

She put a pout on her face and pretended to sulk. Karin smiled in victory but Hatomi snorted inwardly. This was not over.

* * *

Tenten rubbed her forehead as it hadn't stopped throbbing since they entered this room for the meeting. Apparently Orochimaru had done some experiments on a guy named Shin who could accept anything transplanted into him. Shin had a bunch of Sharingan eyes and his right arm had been made for Danzo.

Apparently Shin developed an interest in Uchiha Itachi and took off to find him, taking a clone with him. The Clones weren't like Naruto's clones of course, nope, they had to be killed to be destroyed and Shin liked cloning himself so they could be facing perhaps dozens of Shin clones all complete with Sharingan.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Kiba questioned.

Orochimaru chuckled which was damned well creepy. No one who was over sixty should look so young and pretty unless using a genjutsu like Tsuande-sama. Kami, Orochimaru looked younger than _Neji_ and her husband had aged the best out of everyone.

"No," Orochimaru answered Kiba.

Tenten saw Naruto had placed his head on the table in frustration. Sasuke's eyes had narrowed in annoyance while Sakura looked about ready to punch something. Lee was leaning so far back in his chair his body had started to slip forward off it. Neji's right eyebrow twitched.

"I do know where he is," Orochimaru said.

"Fucking great," Kiba muttered.

"It means we can approach him," Neji said.

"And do what? Ask him what he wants? Like _that's_ ever gone over well for us," Kiba said.

He grumbled something and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the table for all his worth. Tenten pushed down the bubble of hysterical laugher and tried not to think about how Hatomi had tangled with Shin on the way here. Her girl, Neji's Princess, was lucky to have _survived_.

"Obviously we cannot _ask_ him to do anything," Neji said.

Tenten kept her smirk to herself. Kiba and Neji always had the funniest friendship. It had something to do with Neji's cool demeanour and Kiba's blunt, loud attitude.

"We would approach with the intent to infiltrate his hideout, see what he is doing then react accordingly," Neji said.

Kiba's eyes rolled and Tenten fought to keep back the smile wanting to spread across her face.

"Yeah, cuz _those_ missions go well too. Plus at least one of us has to go back with the girls," Kiba said.

Neji sighed but raised an eyebrow at Kiba. Kiba scowled but followed Neji's eyes in looking at Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto.

"If the new group of Sannin cannot deal with Shin then we are all screwed," Neji said.

Kiba's mouth opened then closed. He flushed, groaned then whacked his head with the palm of his hand. Tenten giggled. Neji snorted as Naruto lifted his head.

"Okay, so we go to Shin's hideout, see what he's up to, and either take him down or, or, whatever. I'm good with that. Who wants to take the girls home?" Naruto questioned.

Before anyone could answer the meeting door slammed open to reveal a panting Karin dragging a beat up looking Suigetsu. Sarada and Chocho pulled up the rear, both shifting from foot to foot, and biting their lips. No Hatomi. For the love of Kami!

"Hatomi's gone," Karin said.

"What?" Neji asked.

The ice in his voice was almost visible. Karin winced then took a step back even though she stood five yards from Neji all ready. Tenten realized she had summoned senbon into both hands but didn't care.

"You had _one job_ ," Tenten said.

"Suigetsu had one job and really who leaves a job like that with him?" Karin enquired.

She squealed when senbon embedded into the door frame millimeters from her head. Suigetsu fell out of her hand with more of a splat then a thud. Karin raised both hands and started waving them around.

"I _might_ have told her none of this was her business and to sit tight and do whatever you guys tell her when you're done in here," Karin said.

"And you said the Hyuuga ego was a pain to deal with," Suigetsu mentioned.

The room cooled another few degrees when Neji glared at Karin. Tenten heard Kiba push his chair back as Sakura, Naruto, and Lee shoved away from Neji. Even Orochimaru winced and shifted away from her husband. Tenten wanted to laugh.

"Next thing I know she's sitting there _too quiet_ so I asked her what was going on with her. She didn't respond so Sarada poked her but Hatomi didn't move. Then I slapped her and she turned into a log. I'm not even sure _how_ long she's been gone or where she is," Karin said.

Tenten felt the chakra flare when Neji activated his Byakugan. He stood and began heading to the door, all regal and pissed. Karin _leaped_ out of the way when he got close to her and landed on her ass with a yelp. Tenten grabbed her senbon in passing before following Neji down the hallway.

Everyone else followed but Tenten wasn't paying attention to what they were doing. Neji kept walking through Orochimaru's hideout, turning right and left when he needed and they headed deeper into the place.

"Ah, this is the way to my file room," Orochimaru said.

"I deducted that by the filing cabinets in the room," Neji drawled.

"Wait, wait, she _didn't_ leave the base?" Karin questioned.

Neji shook his head. Tenten let out a breath of relief. At least Hatomi was still safe. She hadn't gone off running to look for Shin. Tenten almost smacked her forehead for her stupidity. Of course Hatomi wouldn't go after someone half-cocked. She'd find out everything about them first _then_ go kick their butt.

"What exactly is she doing in the file room?" Suigetsu asked.

"She is researching the files on Shin," Neji said.

He stopped them all and smirked.

"Eh?" Naruto questioned.

"We are five hundred and two meters away. She cannot see us," Neji said.

"She has Byakugan activated?" Orochimaru enquired.

He looked as stunned as everyone else. Tenten started giggling when Neji raised an eyebrow.

"Of _course_ she has Byakugan activated. She is not stupid. She is also looking through a set of files before replacing them perfectly which is likely why no one noticed she and Hizashi were in Naruto's office or the record room," Neji said.

Tenten kept laughing as the others deadpanned. Lee held the wall to stop from falling over in shock. Kiba bent in half, holding his knees as Naruto let out a groan and leaned against Sasuke who looked ready to fall over. Suigetsu started laughing as Karin shook her head. Orochimaru snorted.

"May I keep her?" Orochimaru asked.

"No,"

She and Neji said it at the same time, her with senbon in her hands and Neji with chakra flaring around his hands. Orochimaru took a step back with a nervous smile. Neji hummed before letting his chakra go out. Tenten sealed her senbon away.

"So, now what?" Sakura questioned.

"Well, she's safe," Naruto said.

"Hn, the moment she sees us she will leave the room. She has likely all ready found all the so-called hidden exits and will turn up innocently in her room or leave entirely. We may as well wait for her to finish and approach us," Neji said.

"Yep, only way to deal with it at this point," Tenten said.

So they stood in the middle of the hallway, moving backwards when Neji instructed them to so Hatomi could not see them. She came out of Orochimaru's file room after an _hour_ and Neji kept backing them up as Hatomi came into the hallway. He darted forward after they backed up to a turn a dozen yards away and Tenten smirked.

"Where—" Karin tried.

"He's going to go catch her," Tenten said.

Two minutes later and they heard a yelp. Tenten waited, flipping a kunai into the air and catching it. She didn't care how much her smile creeped out the others and chuckled when Neji came towards them with a pouting Hatomi under his right arm.

"Another week onto your personal grounding time," Neji said.

"But father—" Hatomi tried, puppy dog eyes activated and teary voice coming out.

"No buts," Neji told her.

Hatomi paused for half a second.

"I am only being a shinobi," Hatomi said. "I am training for my job title with infiltration. Why are you punishing me for practicing?"

Tenten dropped her kunai as Neji stopped in mid-step and looked at his daughter with parted lips and wide eyes. Orochimaru started giggling. Naruto groaned and rubbed the back of his head.

"Man, and I thought Boruto and Himawari were bad," Naruto said.

Neji hummed before walking right up to Orochimaru and dropping Hatomi. She landed like a cat, catching herself on the balls of her feet and her fingers.

"You may keep her," Neji said.

Hatomi fell over with a squeak. Orochimaru kept laughing as Neji curtly turned on his heel and walked away from his daughter. Tenten picked up her kunai and shook her head at Neji. Hatomi got to her feet and glared at Orochimaru who winced.

"On second thought," Orochimaru said.

Hatomi gave her 'hn' of annoyance before turning on her heel, flicking Orochimaru in the chest with her hair and coming over to her and Neji with her arms crossed under her bust and a snarl on her face.

"Father," Hatomi said.

"Hn,"

Neji's "what did you expect?" sound. Tenten tried not to roll her eyes. Of course they would resort to communicating in mono-syllable sounds. She saw the others staring.

"Hn,"

Tenten rolled her eyes at Hatomi's angry sound. She saw Neji raise and eyebrow at Hatomi who kept glaring at her father. Lee's eyebrows started twitching.

"Hn,"

Tenten saw the others staring in wonder when Neji gave his "as if I'd give up my Princess" sound. Hatomi smiled.

"Hn,"

Hatomi's happy sound complete with a hug.

"Hn,"

Neji's joyful sound complete with a little smile and him wrapping his arms around her, patting the top of her head as she snuggled into him.

Lee fell over. Kiba sat in the middle of the floor with a defeated look on his face. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke gaped while Sarada and Chocho giggled. Suigetsu stared, moments from exploding. Karin rubbed her forehead while Orochimaru kept snickering.

"Did they just? I mean what? I," Suigetsu attempted.

Tenten shrugged at them and they stared at her while Hatomi and Neji hugged.

"Hyuuga have this sort of like, other language consisting of the 'hn' sound in various pitches and tones, kind of like cats. You just gotta know 'em," Tenten said.

This got her a double stare but Tenten waved off her husband and daughter who gave her their "not funny" sound.

"Anyway," Naruto muttered.

"I know all about Uchiha Shin," Hatomi decided to mention.

"It does _not_ mean you are coming on the mission," Neji told her.

She pulled away from him and put her arms back under her bust and thrust her lower lip out.

"But father, I can help," Hatomi said.

Not whining, more sorrowful, as if Neji wasn't appreciating her talents. Neji blinked then glanced over to Tenten with one eyebrow raised, asking _her_ permission. Tenten snorted.

"Nope," Tenten said.

Hatomi actually pouted this time. Tenten rolled her eyes before turning to the rest of the group. Orochimaru kept grinning while the others were getting over shock.

"Anyway, who's bringing the girls home?" Naruto questioned.

"I can," Karin said.

"I need to stretch my legs," Suigetsu said.

It meant her, Neji, Lee, and Kiba could freely help Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke with the Shin situation. Tenten glanced to Neji who nodded. The duo couldn't screw up twice, right? Tenten agreed. Naruto smiled.

"Good, the rest of us will get prepared to go to head to Shin's hideout to see what the heck we can do to stop him or whatever. In two hours, we'll meet at the front doors," Naruto said.

Hatomi sighed but Tenten saw her daughter followed the rest of them. Tenten patted Hatomi's shoulder and Hatomi gave her a tiny smile. Tenten could happily follow her husband and friends into the unknown now that she knew Hatomi would be safe.

* * *

"How do you two _not_ know where you're going?"

Hatomi noticed Sarada scowled as she questioned Karin and Suigetsu. Both adults (and Hatomi used the term loosely with these two) turned on Sarada with frowns.

"It's been a while, okay?" Karin said.

"I could lead," Hatomi suggested.

"No," Karin protested loudly. "You'll take advantage of us not knowing where we're going and lead us to Shin's hideout!"

Perhaps the red-head was smarter than Hatomi had given her credit for. Pity since Sarada and Chocho had no idea how to get back to Konoha either. Hatomi watched as the group continued to argue. It would be easy to do another replacement jutsu and slip away but Hatomi had promised father she would go back to Konoha. In reward, he would not give her the extra week for invading Orochimaru's privacy without telling anyone.

Being grounded for two months would be horrid enough without taking into consideration one month would be spent being grounded alone. At least the first month she would be able to complain to Hizashi. In the second month he would get great joy out of teasing her. Uchiha were worth more trouble than she had anticipated.

"Urg, this is so pathetic," Karin said.

"Agreed," Hatomi said.

"I didn't ask you," Karin said, again, loudly.

How the woman made it so far without being killed was beyond Hatomi. Then again, Karin was an Uzumaki known for incredible stamina and overall longevity. Plus Karin was a medical-nin who could heal almost instantly from many life-threatening injuries.

"Okay, okay, why don't we let Hatomi lead for a little while until we recognize something?" Suigetsu asked.

"Because she'll start leading us to Shin," Karin exclaimed.

They were going around the argument in circles and frankly, Hatomi was getting tired of it.

"Contrary to your belief, I would like to go home. Father did promise to take a week off my grounding and I am not an idiot as to not accept that," Hatomi said.

Karin studied her and Hatomi raised an eyebrow. Finally Karin nodded in acceptance so Hatomi activated her Byakugan, found a path she knew, and began walking steadily towards the path. Sarada said she recognized the river they came upon and Hatomi saw Karin let out a breath of relief. Hatomi deactivated her Byakugan when Karin realized where they were.

"Good job, Hatomi," Karin said.

"Hn,"

They all looked to her. Karin glanced to Sarada and Chocho who stared back at her.

"What did that one mean?" Karin asked.

Hatomi rolled her eyes.

"Um, kind of like "don't insult me" or something," Chocho said.

Hatomi smirked when Karin groaned and Suigetsu laughed. She kept the lead in a way as they continued striding through the forest. At this rate they would not be back in Konoha until late tomorrow. At least it would give mother and father time to catch up.

Hatomi activated her Byakugan when Karin stiffened and glared at a spot to their right. Shin came towards them but there was something different about him. Hatomi could not place what exactly as he was still too far away.

"Shin," Hatomi said.

"What? But his chakra isn't as strong," Karin said.

"A clone," Hatomi said.

"Oh, right, that makes sense," Karin muttered.

Hatomi wondered if it would be rude to hit the woman but the thought went out of her head as six more Shin, all slightly different appeared behind the first one. They were not Shadow Clones. Hatomi scowled as Karin blinked.

"Seven Shins," Hatomi said.

"Well crap," Suigetsu muttered.

"Can we outrun them?" Sarada questioned.

Hatomi flicked her eyes to Chocho but no one noticed.

"Unlikely," Hatomi said.

Hatomi, Karin, Suigetsu, and _possibly_ Sarada could outrun the Shins but with Chocho, well, they were finished. It was not Chocho's fault. She was built to be a tank not a jet.

"We will have to fight them," Hatomi said.

"Great, just great," Karin mumbled.

They did not get a chance to form any kind of plan. The Shins were on them moments later and Hatomi fell into her Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms attack before any of them could counter. The Shin she struck out at was beaten down in under a minute (father would be proud) and she moved onto a second.

The other six Shins had taken on the other members of the group: one to Sarada, one to Chocho, and two each to Karin and Suigetsu. Suigetsu kept missing his opponents so Hatomi snuck in behind a Shin and slammed closed eighteen of his tenketsu before he could turn around. He couldn't breathe as she had aimed for all the ones in his lungs. She finished him off with a final strike to under his chin, flaring her chakra through every tenketsu point in his head which made him fall over dead.

Hatomi left Suigetsu with the other Shin and moved to Karin who was not a fighter. The next Shin did not see her coming either and Hatomi killed him by leaping up and slamming her index and middle finger into the tenketsu point at the base of his skull. He fell to the ground dead as Hatomi landed.

Sarada was doing well to hold off her Shin, as was Chocho. Hatomi grinned as Chocho expanded her right fist and smashed her Shin in the face, driving him into the ground which formed a massive crater and crushing him instantly. He did not get up nor did he breathe.

Suigetsu became water and enveloped the head of his Shin, drowning the man while Sarada stuck her Shin in the throat with a kunai. He fell, bleeding out. Karin took down her Shin with a move Hatomi had not seen before but the threat was neutralized which was all that mattered. Hatomi scanned the area, making sure all seven Shins were dead with her Byakugan before looking to her friends and the two adults.

"How do they keep finding us?" Sarada questioned.

Hatomi opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when the one-eyed creature appeared. She could not back flip away quick enough when it opened a rip in space. Sarada stood the next closest and Hatomi gasped as she was pulled away.

A moment later she felt the sensation of flying and spun. The ground, solid rock teeming with thousands of Shin clones was coming up to meet her. Hatomi braced for impact as best she could and landed, hitting her right shoulder hard enough she _felt_ it pop out of its socket and rolled onto her knees, trying not to shriek in pain.

Sarada landed in a less than graceful side roll and stumbled on a pained ankle. Hatomi activated her Byakugan but did _not_ like what she saw. Thousands of Shin surrounded them with one large bald man in the middle who had not only two Sharingan eyes in the normal place but Sharingan eyes all over his head and body with metal blades coming out of his right arm.

"We're in trouble," Sarada said.

"Hn," Hatomi muttered.

She did see Sarada's chakra flare around her eyes and spotted the single tome Sharingan come over Sarada's eyes. Oh good. Now they had one untrained Sharingan user with a bad ankle along with a Byakugan user with a dislocated arm against thousands of enemies.

"Lovely," Hatomi mumbled.

Father, mother, and Lee-sama's motto was "stronger than I was yesterday" so Hatomi had to believe it. She got to her feet, letting her dislocated right arm hang uselessly at her side as she got into fighting position. Sarada stood as well, leaning on her left leg as much as she could and got into a fighting stance.

"Good, you brought her and a Byakugan user. With the girl's Byakugan I can turn two of my Sharingan into Rinnegan. Excellent work," the multi-eyed Shin said.

He would _not_ get two Rinnegan because of her eyes. Well, unless she died. Hatomi almost wanted the Caged Bird Seal. At least then she knew she could die and her eyes would be useless. She would _never_ tell father her current train of thought.

Hatomi stood her ground when five of the Shin came to her. She lashed out with one arm as best she could but succeeded in doing little. She grunted when two Shins grabbed her arms and forced her still. Hatomi blasted chakra through her left arm, killing the Shin and lashed out with her left hand, well tried to. Another Shin tugged her left arm at an awkward angle and Hatomi cried out as her left arm was pulled out of socket.

"Revolving Heaven!"

Hatomi sunk into the spin and blasted the Shins away from her. She stopped to catch her breath to see Sarada had leaped into the air and came down with a shout of "Shannaro!" A _crater_ formed where her fist hit, knocking dozens of Shins to the ground either dead or dying because of the falling rocks from Sarada's fist.

Huh. Perhaps they had a chance.

She sunk into another Revolving Heaven as Sarada punched the earth below her again. Hatomi came out of the spin and went to her knees. Kami the Revolving Heaven took a lot out of her. Sarada had fallen to the ground because of displaced rock. They had taken out perhaps fifty men of the army while the multi-eyed Shin looked on in _amusement._

Hatomi tried to get to her feet but she landed on her knees again. She could not do another Revolving Heaven even if she wanted. Her chakra reserves were low, her arms were in too much pain, and she barely had enough energy to keep her Byakugan active.

No. She was stronger than she was yesterday. Hatomi forced her body upright and took a deep breath.

"Twin Rising Dragons!"

Hatomi looked up and her lips parted as her mother's form came into view. Scrolls waved around her mother in a beautiful spiral pattern as mother began spinning too fast for even Hatomi to catch. Kunai, senbon, shuriken, and a variety of other blades _rained_ down on the Shins: slamming into shoulders, legs, heads, and chests the Shins left in motion. A few dozen were out of mother's range.

"Vacuum Palm!"

Dozens of them were blasted into mother's rain of weapons by father's attack. Hatomi almost started laughing as the entire army went down within seconds. The want to laugh stopped when a _giant_ Shin came up from behind the rocks. Hatomi saw mother land and father took up a fighting stance beside her.

Mother's eyes were _glowing_ in delight. Father took one look at mother and sighed. A small grin did come to his face.

"Fuck yes!"

Hatomi groaned at mother's happy shout. Only mother (and father) could get excited about a difficult enemy.

"Jidanda!"

Hatomi gaped as mother brought forth a giant metal sphere covered in spikes and explosive tags. Mother picked up the handle, put her free hand into a half tiger seal then beamed. Hatomi stared. Mother got this look on her face whenever she saw a new weapon. So did Hizashi.

"Bang!"

The metal sphere shot into the air with mother's shout. It propelled forward and slammed into the stunned looking giant Shin. The giant Shin fell backwards, landing with an enourmous rumble as the multi-eyed Shin fell to his knees in awe.

"Leaf, ah,"

Hatomi saw Lee-sama landed behind father and sag forward in disappointment. Kiba-sama landed behind Lee then started laughing as mother kept slamming Jidanda into the giant Shin whenever the giant stood.

"Rasen—" Naruto-sama began.

He face planted and his rasengan puttered out in disuse. Sasuke sputtered out a burst of flames in awe as mother kept knocking around the giant with her Jidanda. Sakura-sama landed and deadpanned. Finally the giant went down and stayed down when mother made the Jidanda blow up in his face. Hatomi let out a breath of amusement as all the Shins but the multi-eyed one lay defeated.

"Uh, so, the guy left wants Hatomi's Byakugan to make Rinnegan," Sarada said.

Hatomi nodded. She yelped when the last Shin standing grabbed her right arm and held her against him. The pain caused her head to spin but she closed her eyes to concentrate and get Byakugan back.

"I will be taking this girl with me," Shin said.

"The Hell you will,"

Father and mother synced perfectly. Both got into a fighting stance and Hatomi felt like laughing again. Now she wanted to kick Sarada's ass for getting her into this mess in the first place. Idiot Uchiha.

"I will use her to help me restart the Akatsuki!"

"That's a lame plan," Kiba-sama said. "I mean, we beat all the members of the original Akatsuki."

This was becoming ridiculous. Hatomi saw the ugly creature coming towards her then blinked when it was filled with senbon a moment later. It fell over dead. Hatomi _felt_ the multi-eyed Shin sag in shock.

To Hell with this.

Hatomi released all the chakra she could from her back. Shin yelled in pain as she hit him with her chakra and used the propulsion to keep moving forward far away from him. Father grabbed her while mother unleashed Bashosen. Oh Kami.

"Coil of Fire!"

Mother swung the fan. Hatomi watched in wonder as an enourmous pillar of flames shot towards the still-stunned Shin. The fire destroyed everything in its path, burning bodies and stone alike and smacked into the multi-eyed Shin full force. He screamed. Mother fell to her knees and dropped the Bashosen.

When the fire cleared they spotted a severely burned multi-eyed Shin lying on his back staring at the sky above them in shock. Hatomi deactivated her Byakugan and stared at the scorched but somehow still breathing man.

"Talk about over kill," Kiba-sama remarked flatly.

"No one hurts my daughter," mother got out between pants.

Hatomi winced when father shifted her so she was on her knees again. Sakura-sama was there a moment later and Hatomi held back her scream as her arms were popped back into place. The healing chakra helped with the pain.

"So, some of these guys are still alive. What do we do with them?" Sakura questioned.

"Round them all up and bring them to Konoha. With the burned up Shin, well, we know his intentions but we don't know the clones' intentions. I'm sure they're victims of circumstance and didn't want to do any of this," Naruto said.

"Right, sure, that's why the bug I killed took Sarada and Hatomi to bring them here," mother said.

"Mind control," Sasuke said.

He had picked up Sarada and placed her beside Hatomi so Sakura could heal Sarada after finishing with Hatomi. Father sat beside her and Hatomi looked at him while Sakura-sama finished with her. Hatomi happily hugged father and he held her tight.

"This does not count," Hatomi said.

"Hn? You mean for the extra week of grounding?"

"Hn,"

"No, it does not count. Though I suspect Chocho, Karin, and Suigetsu are in a panic,"

Father chuckled. Hatomi rolled her eyes as mother started laughing.

"You give Karin and Suigetsu _one job_ ," mother said.

This made everyone else laugh. Hatomi chuckled then beamed as father stood, lifting her into his arms. Lee-sama ran around collecting all the weapons he could for mother while others began cleaning up. Hatomi did not care. Father was with her now so she was safe.

* * *

Tenten grinned happily from her position on Neji's back. Lee was nice enough to gather all her weapons into a big bag so she could return them back to her scrolls later. She was too depleted of chakra to do it now. She had enough strength to keep her arms wrapped around Neji's shoulders and her legs wrapped around his waist so he could piggy back her and carry their sleeping daughter.

Sarada walked beside her mother while Sasuke strode to Sakura's other side. Naruto took the lead with Kiba while Chocho walked along beside Sarada. Karin and Suigetsu had gone back to Orochimaru's base in the Sound with hanging heads. The mass amounts of Shins were all tied together and being dragged along by Naruto and Kiba. The Shins weren't struggling at least nor did any of them try to escape. All and all everything had turned out okay.

"You know what I think?" Tenten whispered in Neji's ear.

"Hn?"

His questioning sound. She giggled.

"I think you're freaking awesome,"

"Hn,"

His pleased sound. Tenten kissed his cheek. He chuckled and kept moving forward despite carrying her and Hatomi. Trust Neji to want to overburden himself so he could protect both his women.

"Mother?"

So Hatomi wasn't sleeping. Hatomi didn't open her eyes though a little smile came to her face. Neji had apparently taught Hatomi and Hizashi the whole keeping their eyes closed but still seeing everything around them trick.

"What's up sweetie?"

"You are correct. Father is freaking awesome,"

Hatomi kept smiling as Tenten giggled. Neji snorted but Tenten saw a soft grin on his face. She leaned her head against his as they kept moving forward. It would take them the rest of the day to get to Konoha and they might have to camp out in the woods tonight but Tenten didn't mind.

Tenten kept her eyes forward as they moved knowing she could at least launch a kunai from her weapons pouch if anything else happened. The day wore down to night and they made camp. By this time, Tenten was able to put Jidanda back into its scroll. Lee had been dragging the weapon behind him the entire way. He fell over once they made camp but gave them all a thumb up.

The night went by swiftly and by morning Tenten had put away all her weapons and could walk on her own. She strode beside Neji and took his hand lightly in hers as Hatomi strode to her father's other side. Sarada kept her mother between her and Sasuke and Chocho kept beside Sarada.

They hit Konoha by mid-afternoon and helped inform everyone who needed informing of what had happened. By the time evening rolled around, Tenten wanted to go lay down. She still had to be around for Neji telling Hizashi about the grounding. This was turning out to be funny at least.

"But, but, but—" Hizashi said.

His eyes were wide and he had sagged forward in shock. Shi had a smirk on his face while Shun openly laughed. Hatomi had an eyebrow raised at her brother.

"No buts," Neji said.

Hizashi pointed to Hatomi, eyes wide and legs shoulder width apart. Kami he acted too much like Lee and Guy-sensei for her liking.

"You got us both in trouble," Hizashi shouted.

Hatomi shrugged. Hizashi groaned and lowered his pointing hand.

"What did you expect me to do? Say I knew nothing of why Sasuke-baka is a dolt?" Hatomi questioned.

Tenten coughed to hide her laugh. Hizashi pointed at Hatomi again.

"Yeah," Hizashi exclaimed.

Hatomi hummed then shook her head, arms crossing under her bust.

"That would be lying and I do not lie," Hatomi said.

Hizashi moaned and went to his knees in defeat. Tenten gave up on keeping her laugh back especially since Shun had fallen over in chuckles. Hatomi huffed at her brother.

"Jeez," Hizashi murmured. "You know this, this, whatever this was of yours put us _back_ in training with Lee-sama, er, Lee-sensei, right? He couldn't even _test_ us! Metal and I got to the field and stood there for hours before Yusa-obasan came to find us because she didn't get the message on her phone till she woke up! You know how _insane_ it is to keep Metal entertained for _hours?_ You suck."

Hizashi pouted. Tenten covered her mouth with a hand to stop her giggles. Shi kept grinning as Shun kept snickering. Hatomi snorted while Neji watched with a raised eyebrow and a faint smile on his face.

"It is not my fault Uchiha Sasuke is a bigger dolt than you. At least Sarada knows this now and will not be pinning after her father," Hatomi said.

Tenten smiled as Hizashi let out a breath and nodded.

"Fine, fine, you win there. Still, _warn me_ next time you go making trouble for both of us," Hizashi told her.

"As if you warn me before causing us both trouble," Hatomi said.

Tenten kept grinning as Hatomi and Hizashi stared to argue. She plopped onto the couch as Neji sat beside her regally. Shun sat beside Neji as Shi took the flat part of the couch. Hatomi and Hizashi kept yelling back and forth.

"Then go fight Uchiha Sasuke if you are so annoyed,"

"Are you crazy? He'd kill me,"

"Well I guess you have to take your aggravation out on Sarada then,"

"Ah,"

"Oh wait, you cannot because you _love_ her,"

Tenten gaped. Neji coughed. Hizashi turned beat red from embarrassment from Hatomi singing the 'l' word at her brother in taunting. Hizashi stomped a foot but Tenten could tell her son was flustered. Hell, she had stomped her foot when people accused her of loving Neji.

"I don't love Sarada,"

Hatomi giggled at her brother.

"Admit it, you do. You want to hug her. You want to kiss her,"

Hatomi kept sing-songing the words which made Hizashi blush harder. He stomped a foot again then pointed to Hatomi.

"You love, love, love, ah,"

Hizashi crashed and burned while Hatomi smirked. Tenten looked to Neji who's right eyebrow was twitching.

"Enough, both of you," Neji said.

Oh yeah. They probably should've stopped this a few insults back. Nah. Sometimes Hizashi and Hatomi needed to yell it out, kind of like Lee and Neji.

"Go get ready for bed," Neji said.

"But it's eight-thirty," Hizashi protested.

Hatomi and Hizashi's normal bedtime was nine-thirty. Tenten didn't dispute Neji's order. Neji raised an eyebrow. Hizashi groaned but hung his head before trudging towards the hallway like he had been given a death sentence. Hatomi let out a breath but hugged Neji, planted a kiss on his cheek, hugged Tenten then ruffled Shi and Shun's hair before walking away.

"Shi, Shun," Neji said.

Both boys sighed but got to their feet. Tenten hugged Shun close when he hugged her as Shi hugged Neji. They switched then headed towards their rooms to get ready for bed. Tenten listened as her kids used the main bathroom to brush their teeth together then four calls of "good night" came down the hallway.

"Sleep tight," Neji returned.

"Don't let the bed bugs bite," Tenten said.

Four doors closed and the house was silent by fifteen minutes before nine. Tenten met Neji's eyes and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"We've never had the house to ourselves this early," Tenten said.

"Yes we have," Neji said.

Tenten swatted him. He chuckled.

"Okay fine, so we've had the house to ourselves this early but it's _rare_ ,"

Tenten smiled when he nodded in agreement. They sat in silence until nine and Tenten snickered when Neji activated his Byakugan. He grinned.

"They are all passed out," Neji said.

"Shi and Shun I expected cuz it's normal but Hizashi and Hatomi too?"

"Hatomi will not admit it but she is exhausted from the past few days. Yusa told me Hizashi has been going insane with worry so he likely was not sleeping,"

"Aw,"

"Hn,"

Neji deactivated his Byakugan and met her eyes. She raised an eyebrow at him as he stood and went about turning out lights. He did leave their lamps on. Neji locked their front door then the sliding glass door. The curtains were drawn across the glass and Neji turned to look at her, head tilted to one side.

She knew what he wanted and she wanted it too. Sure they had fun with their toys in their bedroom but there was _one_ aspect they hadn't been able to do for a long time, not with four kids. Tenten got to her feet and led Neji to the bedroom.

She kept the door open so she could briefly check in the hallway to make sure all four of their kids had their doors closed. By the time she looked back into the bedroom, Neji knelt naked in the middle of the bed, brush and a hair tie in front of him with their box near the foot of the bed.

"Wow you're quick," Tenten said.

"Now you know that is not true all the time, Mistress,"

Tenten snickered but stripped down to her panties. She opened the box, laid out their scroll and met Neji's eyes.

"Posture corset, ball gag, my collar of course, nipple clamps, and the black dildo, please Mistress,"

Tenten brought them all out then hovered her hand over the seals for their whips. Neji flushed.

"Your bare hand is more than enough, Mistress,"

Tenten smiled. She got in behind Neji after bring out the lube and the leather glove. Neji stayed still as she brushed his hair then braided it. He didn't complain when she put him in the posture corset, chaining his wrists tight to his lower back.

Tenten pushed on his shoulders to get him to bend but he didn't move. She smacked his ass and he let out a low moan.

"Mistress, the nipple clamps first, please?" Neji questioned.

She grinned before going around to his front and clamping his nipples. Neji let out a sigh of happiness.

"You want the collar too before I put the dildo up your ass?"

"Ah, yes Mistress, and the gag,"

Tenten nodded at him, way too happy he wanted to be fully trussed up before she shoved the dildo into his ass. She slipped the collar over his neck then clipped the leash in place before swinging it around so the chain hung down his back.

She pulled the ball gag over his face then secured it to him so he couldn't raise his voice. Neji was all ready panting, sweating lightly, and his eyes were glazed over in lust. Tenten kissed his forehead before going back behind him. She grinned when he bent and held his cheeks open for her without her needing to ask.

Tenten tugged on the leather glove before popping the cap of the lube. Neji shivered in anticipation as she began lubing him up. She watched him trembling in pleasure with every added finger and he let out a throaty groan of pleasure when she pushed the lubed dildo against his ass.

As typical she paused to make sure he was okay after three and six inches. When the dildo was in all the way she had to help him off the bed. He swayed a moment where he stood, body quivering in lust. Neji rubbed the ball gag against his shoulder and Tenten bit her lip in worry.

"What's wrong?" Tenten asked.

She felt like an ass for not realizing he was in some kind of distress. She wanted to pull everything off and go straight to the comforting but Neji flushed. She saw he was still rock hard too.

"Ah, I thought of something, Mistress," Neji said.

"Oh?"

"Perhaps after our walk you can use the strap on with me on the couch, if it pleases you of course, Mistress,"

Tenten grinned. She brought forth the strap on, took off her panties then tugged the strap on in place. Neji smiled then allowed her to put the ball gag back in his mouth. Tenten took the leash in her left hand but peeked out of the room again to make sure no one had gotten up. It would be bad for her kids to see them naked, _worse_ if their kids saw them naked like _this._

Tenten motioned Neji forward and he went without issue, actually pushing out his chest and striding down the hallway as if they _didn't_ have four kids in the house. Tenten kept her laugh back but followed after him, delivering a slap across his ass.

They both paused as the slap echoed in the hallway. Neji's chakra flared and after a moment he stared forward again. Tenten let out a breath and licked her lips.

She was _soaked_ because the dildo on their strap on bounced as she walked, stimulating her in all kinds of ways. Plus the sheer _thrill_ of knowing they actually had a chance of being caught? She wouldn't last long, never mind Neji.

She smacked his ass again when they entered the living room. Neji trembled in pleasure but kept moving. He had his eyes half closed in adore as he walked along their walls. Tenten swatted him again, hitting the back of the dildo and Neji paused to arch, almost going to his knees in bliss.

Tenten smiled at him as he took another step forward. He had barely made it to the corner of their glass wall and the back wall. Even so, he kept moving, letting out little sex sounds with each smack she delivered. They made to the juncture of the front of the house and the wall with their sliding glass doors when Neji stopped.

His body heaved with every pant he took, trembling as sweat rolled down between his shoulders to slip under the corset. The back of his legs were wet with sweat and even his hair had gone damp. Tenten knew he wanted to complete the circle but even when they had done this before kids, he ended in the kitchen.

"Come on, sexy, to the couch,"

Neji nodded to her and followed her to the couch. Tenten pushed him onto the flat area and he went, one knee on the flat area and the other leg extended so his foot was flat on the floor. Tenten kissed the back of his neck as his position then pulled the dildo out of his ass slowly. Neji quaked in pleasure when it was out then leaned forward, pushing his ass towards her.

Tenten entered him with a swift movement and had to bite her lip to keep from yelling in pleasure. Shit. She had come by just entering him with the strap on. He hadn't but Tenten could tell by the glint in his eyes he knew all about her release.

She slapped his shoulder and he hummed at her. Tenten pulled on his hair to get him to shift backwards so his chest was parallel to the flat part of their couch. She moved her other hand to his leash to keep him there then let his thick hair drop. Tenten began moving a moment later, smiling when Neji groaned.

"Come _after_ me,"

Neji grunted in agreement with cheeks flush in pleasure, eyes closed, and body shivering. She kept glancing towards the hallway but there was no one there. Tenten licked her lips as sweat rolled down her body. To be _caught_ , it made her shiver and she felt how close she was. Well, at least they wouldn't be out in the open for long.

Tenten came hard two minutes later and Neji let out a strangled moan as he spurted. He fell forward on the couch, shoulders keeping him up, as she leaned over him, riding out her orgasm with him. It took them longer to calm down then it had for them to cum.

Tenten snorted before pulling the dildo out of him and replacing it with the black one. He trembled then shot her a confused look when she tried to get him to roll over.

"On your back,"

Neji moved until he lay flat on the couch, legs hanging over the edge at the knees. Tenten bent in front of him, pushing his legs apart then took his half interested cock into her mouth before he could protest. She used his leash as a make shift whip as she sucked on him, whacking him across the chest. He thrust and moaned with every hit but this time, lasted five minutes before exploding into her mouth.

She let him catch his errant breaths before pulling him to his feet. Tenten kept swatting at his ass as they made their way back to their bedroom. She pushed him onto the bed and he grunted, landing on his back.

"Stay there a minute. I want to fix the living room,"

Neji nodded. She tugged on a robe before running into the living room. The curtains were opened, the cum cleaned off the couch, and the lamps shut off before Tenten returned to see Neji sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked like he wanted to laugh at her and Tenten realized she still wore the strap on. She shut the door behind her before pulling off her robe.

"Funny huh?"

He shrugged but the amusement was clear in his face. She took off the strap on and he watched, curious as she got into bed beside him.

"You should eat me out for that,"

Neji nodded enthusiastically and she pulled off the ball gag. He licked his lips as she moved to rest against their head board. It took Neji a moment to shift so he could move towards her but he did still have a dildo up his ass.

Tenten took full advantage of the dildo when he began licking her folds. She pushed and pulled it in his ass as he sucked on her clit, delved his tongue into her, and licked at her wetness. They came nearly together and Tenten held the dildo in his ass, half in and half out.

She pulled it out all the way before tossing it towards their en suite where it landed with a thunk. Neji chuckled but she didn't blame him. She made him lay on the bed before carefully pulling off the collar and kissing his neck. The nipple clamps came off next and he shivered when she kissed his nipples.

She took the cuffs off then the posture corset. Neji smiled when she brought his hands up to her lips and kissed his wrists. She lay down in full and instantly Neji curled into her right side, head on her stomach. It didn't take her long to unbraid his hair and begin running her hands through it.

"You okay?"

"Yes,"

"Anything bad?"

"No Tenten, it was perfect,"

He hummed into her as she rubbed the back of his neck. Tenten smiled. They lay together for almost half an hour before reluctantly getting up to clean up their toys. Neji put the box back onto the upper shelf of their closet then they sunk naked into bed together. Neji wrapped around her right side before placing his head on her chest.

Tenten giggled at him but didn't mind. It was good to be home.

* * *

Father walking a bit slower than normal was strange. Hatomi watched him as she set the table and wondered when father had been hurt. He had a limp going on as well and seemed reluctant to sit. Instead, he got tea ready, watched over Hizashi who helped mother with breakfast or generally hovered around the table.

Odder still was the fact father was completely relaxed. It was not so strange to see father unwound but this was _more_ than simple looseness. Father kept a small smile on his face and Hatomi caught him _humming_ lightly under his breath. Mother had the same grin and perchance to hum. Plus she was not scolding Hizashi as much when he did not follow her instructions.

Hatomi met Hizashi's gaze and he frowned softly before glancing between their mother and father. He had noticed it as well. Shi and Shun were not up yet with it being six and the Academy not starting until nine. They would be up when Hizashi and Hatomi left to meet Lee-sensei and Metal in training field three.

Father _finally_ sat but did so carefully as if his buttocks bothered him. He even gave a little wince before adjusting. Hatomi brought him his tea and he thanked her with an exceptionally happy "hn." Hatomi had no idea what was going on.

"You two had sex, didn't you?" Hizashi asked.

Father's tea spattered across the table as he spat it out. Mother smacked the handle of a pan in her haste to face Hizashi and it flipped through the air before spilling its half cooked eggs over the floor and landing with a clatter. Hatomi gaped at her brother then gulped.

It made _sense_. Hatomi did not want to admit it out loud though. She also ignored the heat in her cheeks as she grabbed paper towels to clean up the mess on the floor. She glanced up when father _glared_ at Hizashi and mother smacked him with her spatula. He yelped.

"What? You guys are way happier than normal! Plus dad's kind of limping and didn't want to sit which doesn't happen often. Which is weird cuz um, shouldn't mom be limping? I mean with the logistics and all,"

Hatomi threw her egg filled paper towels at him and Hizashi almost fell backwards in shock when the runny egg towels hit him in the face. Hatomi went back to cleaning the mess on the floor but saw mother _and_ father were blushing.

"Okay, you caught us," mother said.

Father groaned and whapped his head off the table. Hatomi blinked. Hizashi gaped.

"Neji, stop being so dramatic. The sex class was last year after all," mother said.

Hatomi had _loathed_ that class. She had understood basic biology the year before and put everything together along with Hizashi. Sitting in a room full of people who hadn't been smart enough to figure things out while learning about sex made her annoyed at the ridiculous questions her classmates came up with.

Then she and Hizashi had to explain to their group of friends what a few concepts meant which had been both awkward and embarrassing. It was then Boruto had realized his parents had sex while he was still in diapers so Himawari could be born.

"We're not exactly logical and you two know it," mother said.

"Huh?" Hizashi asked.

Mother rubbed her forehead. Father banged his head (good thing for his hitai-ate) off the table again. Hatomi stood since the floor was clean then threw out the used paper towel. She picked up the pan then began cleaning up the tea.

"See, there are some, um, things, couples do outside of the norm," mother said.

"Tenten, we are _not_ having this conversation," father said from the table.

Hatomi put a new cup of tea near him but he did not lift his head. Hizashi smartly turned all the burners on low as mother sighed.

"I'm not going to go into detail, jeez. Anyway, sometimes people get off on a bit of pain with their pleasure," mother said.

Hatomi stared, knowing her eyes were wide, her cheeks bright red, and her lips parted. Hizashi had the same look on his face. Mother pinched the bridge of her nose but did not look at them. Father groaned.

"Your dad happens to be one of those people," mother said.

Hatomi blinked then looked to her father. Father liked pain with his...NO. She would _not_ think of her father in a sexual way. It was too strange.

Of course she understood mother and father were two young, healthy adults who had a sex life but she _did not_ want to hear about the details or linger on the fact too long. They were her parents for Kami's sake!

"Uh, is it okay if we pretend this conversation _never_ happened?" Hizashi asked.

"Yes," father said.

Mother nodded. Easier said than done but Hatomi decided to go with it. Breakfast was still a bit of an awkward affair as father did not look to either of them, focusing on his food. Mother hid behind her food as well. Hatomi knew they all shared the same relief when she and Hizashi took off with bento boxes.

They made it two blocks before Hatomi could not take it anymore. She slapped Hizashi upside the back of the head. He jumped in shock and almost tripped over his feet. He rubbed the back of his head and winced when she glared at him.

"What in the _hell_ was that?" Hatomi questioned.

"I was curious!"

"Well do not include their sex life in your curiosity next time. I did _not_ need to know about father liking, gah,"

Hatomi was glad when Hizashi shivered with her. They kept walking.

"I guess we know why he didn't want to sit," Hizashi said.

"What?"

"Er, spanking, it's a, um, _thing_ ,"

He flushed. Hatomi kicked him in the knee for putting _that_ thought into her head. She stared at him as he jumped on one leg while holding the one she kicked.

"How in the world do you know about spanking being a thing?"

Hizashi stopped jumping but kept holding his sore knee. He flushed.

"Ah, well, me and the guys kinda walked in on Naruto-sama and Hinata-obasan, er, well, he was spanking her and saying she'd been a naughty girl, and, yeah,"

Hatomi gaped. She pushed _that_ mental image away and walked off. Hizashi caught up to her and she noticed his cheeks were pink. Oh good, he had the capability to be embarrassed along with her.

"Adult stuff is weird," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

"Like, really weird,"

"Hn,"

"But,"

"Hn?"

"I kinda wonder what _else_ they're not telling us,"

Hizashi shrieked when she whapped him upside the head with her bento box. She left him on the road and stalked towards training. She tried _not_ to be curious about the same but it was not working. Stupid Hizashi.

* * *

A/N: Tenten your daughter is in trouble. This isn't the time to be excited about using Jidanda! *laughs*

As you can tell I totally don't buy all those Shin clones becoming residents of Konoha like they did nothing. And I totally believe Tenten could've been kickass if she had been allowed to be. Plus hey Kickass (Neji) + Kickass (Tenten) = Kickass (Hatomi, Hizashi, and likely Shi. Maybe even Shun.)

What do you do when finding your daughter and sending all your kids to bed early? Kinky sex, of course. Also: poor Hizashi. Hatomi's so mean. ;)

Reviews welcome.

Wait for it...

 **Omake**

"Hatomi, why is your bento so messy?"

"Hizashi smashed his face off my bento box."

"What? Why would you do that Hizashi?"

"Because I'm a dolt."

"Hn,"

Lee wondered (not for the first time) if he could handle the Hyuuga Twins and decided to do what Guy-sensei had always done when it came to Tenten and Neji: smother them in youth. Yep. Youth was the answer to everything.


	18. Team Lee!

**Team Lee!**

 **Author's Note:** While I have come to accept Neji's unwarranted death I'm still pretending it didn't happen and he just took a really long vacation. Also, the idea of Hyuuga Twins thanks to Neji and Tenten (two sets even) just makes me happy.

Again: no idea where I'm going with this but I'm having too much fun to stop writing it.

Also: Hatomi goes on a bit of a feminist rant because well, you'll see. I'm not sorry cuz it was freaking funny.

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

Also: Mitsuki was in Konoha while Orochimaru was in the Sound last chapter. Don't worry, he pops up again and a lot more. And this will be the last chapter for a month as NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow and I want to hit at least 200,000 words in the month, if not more. Yeah, I'm nuts.

* * *

Tenten heard the bedroom door creak as it opened and looked through her lashes to see Hizashi step quietly into the room, eyes closed and waving a hand through the air so he didn't walk into anything. His other hand carried a blue bag full of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, his toothbrush, toothpaste, a hair brush and clothes. He wore a pair of boxers and a rumpled white tank top. His hair was messy from waking up.

Tenten almost started laughing at her son as he strode forward heading towards the bathroom. Tenten knew Hatomi always took over the main bathroom and took the longest. If Hizashi didn't want to be late for Lee's five in the morning meeting time then he had to use the en suite. At least he was trying to be quiet since it was quarter to four in the morning.

She felt Neji shift beside her and watch as Neji lifted his head off her bare chest. Neji raised an eyebrow, a little grin coming to his face as he watched Hizashi blindly walk across the room. Ever since the awkward sex-talk last month; Hizashi had been coming into their room the same way: eyes covered and blindly looking for the bathroom. He never knew her and Neji were awake and watching him in amusement.

Hizashi smacked into the wall and she winced. He stumbled back but did not fall over. He did rub his nose with his free hand before putting it back out to touch the wall with his fingertips.

"Two steps to your left, Hizashi," Neji said.

Tenten giggled as Hizashi froze. Hizashi slowly turned his face towards them, keeping his hand over his eyes and Tenten saw him blushing. She pulled the covers over her naked chest.

"We are covered, you know," Tenten said.

Hizashi opened his hand to look through his fingers, golden eyes bright in the half light of their room. Kami she loved his and Hatomi's eyes. Hizashi had a light flush on his cheeks but lowered his hand all the same.

"Oh," Hizashi said.

"Go on," Neji told him.

Hizashi nodded and shifted so he could walk into the bathroom. He stopped in the threshold of the doorway.

"Er, sorry and, um, thanks," Hizashi said.

Tenten smiled and saw Neji nod. Hizashi disappeared into the bathroom, closed the door, and began getting ready for the day. Tenten heard the shower running a few moments later and chuckled. She watched as Neji yawned hugely before placing his head on the pillow beside her and watching her with his silver-white eyes which were glazed from sleep.

"At least we got Lee convinced to start training at five instead of four," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

"And we can go back to sleep until seven once he's out of the bathroom,"

"Hn,"

"And the sex was awesome last night,"

She beamed when he grinned. He kissed her cheek before yawning again. This time he nuzzled the pillow and pulled her against him tightly. Tenten squeezed the butt cheek she had in her hand and he hummed happily.

They listened to Hizashi showering. The water turned off after ten minutes and Hizashi began blow-drying his hair. He did not come out until ten after four, fully clothed in black shorts, a shirt similar to his father's old genin shirt in light blue, his fishnet elbow sleeves, light blue leg warmers and hair flowing down his back from a low pony tail.

He had a smile on his face and stopped because he obviously felt them looking at him. Hizashi flushed again, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Sorry for waking you guys up," Hizashi said.

"It's okay," Tenten told him.

"Hn," Neji muttered.

Neji's eyes were closed and had been for a little bit now but he wasn't sleeping. Resting yeah, on the verge of going back to sleep, yeah, but not out yet. Tenten always found Neji's habit of doing this adorable.

"Um, potentially awkward question," Hizashi said.

His cheeks went pinker and he looked to the floor for a moment before meeting Tenten's eyes from a lowered position. Both his hands were on the handle of his toiletry bag, fiddling with it, and he shuffled slowly from foot to foot. Shoulders, broad for a boy his age, were tense and Tenten could tell he bit the inside of his cheek.

"Go on," Tenten said.

She noticed Neji had shifted so his head was propped up on his hand, elbow in the pillow. The blanket still covered her but had slipped down Neji's body a bit to reveal his chest. It didn't matter really. Neji took his shirt off on the hot days even when training with the kids.

"Um, so, er, why the, um, I'm, ah, guessing spanking?" Hizashi asked.

Tenten stared at him. Hizashi's entire face was red and he looked to the floor, hands still picking at the handle of the bag in them and now he bit his lip. She looked to Neji who had raised an eyebrow but had a light tint to his cheeks.

"I mean, I don't wanna know the details but um, the whole pain thing during something that's supposed to be pleasurable doesn't make sense,"

He mumbled this and kept his head down. Tenten felt Neji sigh and bit her lip to keep from laughing. She watched as Neji ran a hand through his hair.

"Your mother does not enjoy spanking," Neji said.

"But, er, I mean, you do and, um," Hizashi tried.

He still didn't lift his head. Tenten didn't blame her son but wanted to laugh. She watched as Neji considered, cheeks pink and a frown on his face.

"Yes there is pain but a different sort of pain. It is this, kind of, delightful sting and warmth. It sends vibrations to other areas and the sound is enticing. The extra bit of pain releases more endorphins which heighten pleasure," Neji said.

Hizashi looked up, his entire face still red, and blinked at Neji. Tenten shrugged. They had tried reversing roles a _long_ time ago. Tenten hated being dominated and Neji didn't like tying Tenten down or even spanking her. He got all flustered and apologetic which led to more frustration than anything else.

"Oh," Hizashi said.

He started to relax. Neji shrugged.

"It is also, well, _nice_ to have your mother in control for once," Neji said.

Tenten snorted at him and pinched his ass under the covers. He smirked. Hizashi gaped.

"Oh, um, okay," Hizashi said, unsure.

Tenten glanced to Neji who met her eyes. He was wide awake now and the pinch had made him half-hard. Tenten raised her eyebrows at him and he nodded. She saw Hizashi watching them, lower lip caught between his teeth and eyes wide.

"If you want we have a book about it," Tenten said.

Hizashi gulped as his entire face went a brilliant shade of crimson. Tenten felt kind of sorry for her son but at the same time wanted to laugh. He was twelve and old enough to be asking about sex. Tenten was glad he came straight to them instead of trying to do research on his own. They hadn't discovered anything kinky until after the war and they had both stumbled around in embarrassed awe.

"Sure, okay, thanks, um, I'm gunna go start breakfast," Hizashi said.

"Okay, have a good day," Tenten told him.

"Hn," Neji said.

Hizashi nodded before darting out of the room. He almost ran _into_ the door in his haste to get out of it and Tenten giggled. The door shut behind him and Tenten kept snickering. She looked over to Neji who sighed but had a smile on his face.

"At least he's asking us, right?" Tenten questioned.

Neji nodded and kissed her chastely on the lips. He chuckled when she rolled atop him, forcing him onto his back. Neji smiled up at her then moaned into the open mouthed kiss she planted on his lips. His hands roamed up her sides to tweak her nipples and she pulled the covers out from between their bodies so she could rub her slick pussy against his hard cock.

He got a condom out of their drawer but she slipped it over his length. They both moaned when she impaled herself on him with one fluid motion. Neji kept a hold on her hips as Tenten started moving. Tenten kept her hands on his chest so she could stay up right. She smiled down at Neji as he watched her breasts bouncing above him. He licked his lips then closed his eyes, meeting her thrust for thrust.

Tenten released minutes later, biting back a scream, and shivering atop him. Neji gave a final thrust before grunting rather loudly and clenching her hips firmly in his hands. Tenten let her body fall and stretched out on top of Neji. He kissed her cheek and tugged the covers over their naked, sweaty bodies. Now she was sleepy.

* * *

Hatomi heard father grunt and blinked at the closed door. She had finished showering and getting dressed in her typical knee length black tights, ankle high sandals, and a long pale purple shirt with frills at the bottom which ended at her mid-calves. The shirt tied off with a black obi and her hair was styled in French braids until the nape where she allowed it to be loose.

She was tugging her right fishnet elbow sleeve properly into place as she headed towards the kitchen when father's grunt stopped her. Hatomi was tempted to use Byakugan to see what happened but she had a fairly good idea of _why_ father had grunted. She did not need to see her parents during sex.

Hatomi hummed and kept walking. She made it into the kitchen to see Hizashi at the stove, pouring rice into the rice cooker while his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth in concentration. She went to the fridge to find vegetables to cut to set in their steamer as Hizashi finished making a batch of rice which would later feed mother, father, Shi, and Shun.

"Good morning," Hatomi said.

She watched with a raised eyebrow as Hizashi yelped and almost dropped the bag of rice. He caught it before the entire bag fell over but about a half a cup of rice still hit the floor. Hatomi kept her eyebrow raised when he turned to stare at her with his cheeks colored pink.

"Jeez, don't sneak up on me like that," Hizashi said.

"What, you did not hear me going through the fridge?"

Hatomi blinked when Hizashi's flush deepened. He put the bag of rice back where it belonged before grabbing the broom and dustpan to clean up his mess. Hatomi went about cutting the vegetables she had selected then arranged them in the bamboo steamer neatly before setting it in the proper part of the stove. Hizashi had cleaned up his mess and set the rice to cook.

"Why are you blushing?" Hatomi questioned.

She took a plastic container full of salmon marinating in mirin, sake, and soy sauce from the fridge. Hizashi grabbed one of the containers of miso soup mother and father had made so he could warm it up. Hatomi set the six pieces of salmon to grill before putting the container in the sink for washing. Hizashi poured the entire container of soup into a pot.

"Well?" Hatomi asked.

Hizashi sighed. He pouted at her but she stared. Finally he gave in.

"I asked dad why he enjoyed, er, stuff in, you know, their, yeah," Hizashi said.

Hatomi had _not_ expected this answer. She shook her head before getting out the carton of eggs and a huge pan. Hizashi helped her start on rolled omelets as everything else cooked without needing much attention. He flipped the salmon when it needed to be flipped.

"They're gunna give me a book about it," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

She hated to admit how curious she was but knew Hizashi could tell. He shrugged at her and kept his eyes on the cooking egg. Hizashi didn't look at her but his cheeks still had a pink tint to them.

"You can borrow it after if you want," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

She would not request the book out loud and he knew it. Breakfast finished cooking so they moved their portions onto smaller plates before storing everything else onto larger platters and covering it all with plastic wrap. They ate quietly then cleared up the mess they had made. Hatomi handed Hizashi his bento box, grabbed hers, and out the door they went.

The sun was hardly up as it was barely four thirty. Hatomi sighed but continued to walk beside her brother through the deathly quiet streets. Birds were not tweeting yet. Even if she was not still grounded she would be going to sleep by 8:30 to get seven hours of sleep. At least on weekends Lee-sensei had mercy and did not meet with them until nine.

"Why did you ask anyway?" Hatomi questioned.

She watched him shrug. Pink went across his cheeks again.

"It, well, bugged me. I mean the whole pain thing. Dad said it's a delightful sting and warmth that sends vibrations to other areas. And he likes the sound. Oh, and the endorphins released heighten pleasure. Then he said he liked mom being in control for once and I left,"

Hizashi's cheeks became red and Hatomi felt her cheeks heat. Perhaps she would _not_ borrow the book after Hizashi considering _whom_ the book came from. But, if she ever did want to know about the odder side of sex she had no one else to ask. Hatomi huffed but said nothing more.

The walk took them twenty-five minutes. Hatomi spotted Lee-sensei and Metal all ready in the field doing handstand push-ups, Lee-sensei with one hand while Metal had to use both.

Hatomi let out a breath before putting her bento beside the middle post with Lee-sensei's and Metal's bento boxes. Hizashi did the same and Hatomi saw her brother's shoulders had sagged forward and his eyes narrowed. His lips were slightly parted and he looked exhausted watching the father and son.

"Three thousand," Lee-sensei shouted.

He flipped onto his feet and beamed at them, teeth pinging, a thumb up in their direction and his other hand on his hip in a fist while his chest puffed out. This was what father and mother called the "Nice Guy" pose. Hatomi disliked it.

She understood _why_ she had been placed on the team with Hizashi and Metal. She had the top marks in the Academy while Metal had been dead last. Hizashi had been second best so technically he should have been on a different team. But, she fought like her father with the Hyuuga techniques. Hizashi fought like their mother with projectile weapon and sealing techniques while Metal fought like Lee-sensei.

Team Guy had been one of the best and most cohesive units in Konoha's history. They had also been known as one of the most successful and the go-to team when something needed to be done quickly, properly, and with a bit of flare. Naruto-sama had assumed Hatomi, Hizashi, and Metal would be Team Guy reincarnated and Hatomi did not doubt it.

Even so, she disliked waking at three thirty in the morning and loathed the loudness of both Metal and Lee-sensei. The volume of their voices grated on her nerves as did the bright green spandex jumpsuits, orange leg warmers, orange neck scarf, and Lee-sensei's green flank vest. Their bowl cuts were _not_ fashionable in the slightest but the two were powerful fighters and brilliant taijustu users.

She would learn much from Lee-sensei and Metal.

"Laps!"

It did not mean she had to _enjoy_ training with the green duo. They ran laps around the training field as the sun came up. At first Hatomi had not seen the point in running laps or doing the various exercises Lee-sensei put them through but after a month she found her stamina had increased and she felt _stronger_.

She also ate much more than she normally had but had not gained an ounce. Her body had started to delicately tone which made her happy. What did not make her happy was the fact she had to wear two sports bras so her breasts did not hurt so much as she ran. Curse of the Hyuuga genes.

After laps came chin ups then sit ups. Push ups then squats. They balanced on one foot for half an hour then the other, one hand then the other. Hatomi wanted to sit down by this time but kept pressing ahead into lunges across the field. It was almost eleven. In an hour they would break for lunch.

After lunges they did yoga which was the cool down to their routine. This helped with their flexibility and balance. Hatomi easily sunk into the downward dog and let out a breath. Her heart pattered rapidly in her chest and her limbs trembled from tiredness. All her muscles were sore but she felt _wonderful_.

Now she knew why mother and father loved training so much.

She went through all the yoga movements and they ended with fifteen minutes of meditation before Lee-sensei called for lunch. Hatomi sipped her water joyfully before opening her bento box and giving thanks. They would break until one in the afternoon then spar. Sometimes she sparred with Hizashi and other times she sparred with Metal.

Sparring with Hizashi was commonplace as they had grown up fighting each other in every sense of the word. Sparring with Metal had become refreshing. Metal, like his father, could not use jutsu but he made up for this in speed and sheer power. His taijustu skills were so excellent they were the reason he had passed the Academy.

Metal moved fluidly not that Hizashi did not but Metal was unpredictable, agile, and quick to counter. His speed almost matched hers and she liked seeing the determined look on Metal's face. She knew why father enjoyed his spars with Lee-sensei. She also had an idea of why Lee-sensei had beaten father on a few occasions, rarely, but enough.

Hatomi finished her bento and relaxed against the post. She raised an eyebrow as Hizashi took off his shirt and flung it beside the pole she rested against. The workouts had been doing Hizashi well and Hatomi blinked at her brother's abdominal muscles, pectorals, and defined arms. Her eyes shifted to Metal who had pulled the top of his green suit down.

Hatomi gulped, feeling the heat in her cheeks but no one mentioned it. Metal was _toned_ from his clavicles all the way to his navel. He was not as broad as Hizashi but Metal's muscle structure was more defined. Metal was evenly tanned with dark brown perked nipples and a smooth body.

Lee-sensei had pulled his body suit down as well to reveal an evenly tanned, well defined chest complete with a thin trail of hair from his navel to under the green suit. Yusa-sama was a lucky woman. Hatomi bit her tongue and focused on the view behind Metal. Her eyes kept wandering to his chest as he spoke with his father about something or another.

At least Hizashi had lied down in the grass, head supported by his arms, and looking up at the sky. Hizashi would be the one who could tell Hatomi stared at Metal and Hizashi would tell she thought Metal looked _good_. Hatomi swallowed with a bit of difficulty as Metal laughed.

Damn it.

At least she could blame the oppressive summer heat combined with the work out on her flush. Even so, it was unfair her male teammates could simply whip off their shirts without a care in the world to cool off. Her shirt stuck to her back in odd places and was soaked in her sweat, clinging to her and making her sweat more. Her obi was made of thin material yes, but she had to tie it around her waist a few times as it was so long. She could feel the sweat _everywhere_ and scowled.

To Hell with it.

Hatomi undid her obi before folding it so it neatly rested on her bento box. She found her spare elastic in her weapons pouch then braided the length of her hair before twirling it in a bun at the back of her head. By this time, Lee-sensei and Metal were watching her, grinning in amusement.

Both their jaws dropped and their eyes widened when Hatomi peeled off her shirt. Lee-sensei started making a choking sound while Metal leaned forward and put both hands over his nose and mouth to cover his deep red cheeks. Hatomi flipped out her shirt, folded it then placed it atop her obi.

"Wh-wh-wha-wha," Lee-sensei tried.

Hatomi saw Hizashi sit up because of Lee-sensei's distress. Hizashi blinked at the stunned father and son before following their gaze to her. Hatomi raised an eyebrow as Hizashi's eyes widened and his lips parted.

Hatomi adjusted her sports bras, noticing they were covering all the important bits then stared at the three males. Metal had some blood coming out from between his fingers and his entire face had gone red. She could almost see the steam coming out of his ears. Lee-sensei had his hands on his head, fingers clenching and unclenching in his hair. Hizashi groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why did you take your shirt off?" Hizashi asked.

"The same reason you did, I assume," Hatomi replied.

Hizashi stared at her then sighed.

"But you're a girl," Hizashi said.

As if her gender explained anything. Hatomi crossed her arms under her bust which made Metal's eyes roll back in his head. He fell backwards. Lee-sensei turned to his son with his mouth still opening and closing, eyes wide, and hands in his hair. Hizashi kept staring at her as if she had grown a second head.

"So?" Hatomi questioned.

"You're not supposed to walk around in a bra," Hizashi said.

Hatomi blinked. She shook her head at her brother as he gestured to his chest area, holding his hands as if he was cupping breasts. Hatomi glared at him. Stupid boys.

"Why is it perfectly acceptable for me to walk around in a bikini which I do when we are at the beach but it is unacceptable for me to reveal my bras, two by the way, especially when the bikini shows more?" Hatomi enquired.

Hizashi opened his mouth then closed it. He blinked then looked to Lee-sensei who had taken his hands out of his hair to shake his son awake. Metal had a dopey grin on his crimson face, a bit of blood coming out of his nose, and his eyes were still half rolled back in his head.

"Furthermore, it is not my problem fashion people and the media have decided a woman's breasts are sexual. They are a perfectly natural occurrence and their actual purpose is to feed young. Honestly, they are balls of fat and if the same fat were anywhere else on my body it would be looked upon with disgust," Hatomi went on.

Hizashi gaped. Lee-sensei let Metal drop and stared at her in wonder. Metal was still half passed out with a smile on his red face.

"And lastly, why are men privileged enough to whip off their shirts when they are hot even if the man in question does not meet society's ideal but women are not allowed to? If _you_ are allowed to take your shirt off because of the heat then I damned well will as well," Hatomi said.

She huffed. She had not meant to go on such a feminist rant but she could not help it once she got on a roll. Hizashi groaned before shaking his head.

"Whatever," Hizashi said.

"It's un-youthful for a young blossom to expose her, her, er, flowers," Lee-sensei got out.

Hatomi ignored the euphemism for her breasts. Flowers, really, he could have said body and had the same effect.

"Then it is _just_ as un-youthful for two young men to expose themselves," Hatomi said.

Lee-sensei kept staring at her with wide eyes and a wide open mouth. Hizashi lied back down on the grass, seemingly content to ignore the argument.

"But young men do not have flowers," Lee-sensei said.

She snarled at him and Lee-sensei gulped.

" _That_ is my entire point! My flow- _breasts_ are as sexual as your chest. Just because my gender is more sexualized does not mean I cannot be entitled the same options when it comes to living my life," Hatomi said.

Lee-sensei sputtered. Metal sat up then beamed at Hatomi. She glared, he yelped and she snorted when he ducked his head to stare intently at the grass.

"Don't keep going sensei, we'll be here all night," Hizashi said.

Lee-sensei fell onto his back with a grunt of defeat. Hatomi sniffed at him before getting to her feet and tilting her head upwards in a way so she stood regally over the three men. She knew how to pose to get the effect she wanted.

"Metal," Hatomi said.

"Ah, yes Hatomi-chan?"

"We are sparring,"

"Er, yes! Sparring, wonderful idea Hatomi-chan!"

Hatomi smirked as Metal got to his feet. Hatomi raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Hizashi got up as quickly then grabbed Metal by the back of his scarf as Metal went to move forward. Metal hacked then looked at Hizashi over one shoulder.

Honestly, Hatomi had never seen her brother look like this. Hizashi's Byakugan had activated and he had widened his eyes so the full effect of the pupil-less stare was fixated on Metal. Hizashi's eyebrows had furrowed and his lips turned down into a sneer.

"Touch her inappropriately and I'll make you into a pin cushion after she's done with you," Hizashi said.

Hatomi kept her laughter back. She was glad Hizashi had considered she would slaughter Metal first for an inappropriate touch. She was also glad her two minute older brother had her back. She did giggle when Metal went pale but nodded furiously.

Hizashi let him go and Metal staggered forward. He gave Hizashi a "Nice Guy" pose.

"I will not touch our team's precious blossom in any way that can be considered wrong," Metal said.

"Good," Hizashi said.

Hatomi rolled her eyes but kept the smile on her face as she walked towards the middle of the field. Metal followed after her and Hatomi turned to face him, dropping into her fighting stance easily and activating her Byakugan. Metal fell into his fighting stance and the determined look came over his face. Hatomi decided it best to ignore his blush and attacked. This would be an excellent spar.

* * *

Tenten looked up as Hizashi and Hatomi came into the house. Both were soaked in sweat, long hair tussled from sparring, cheeks pink from the heat, and panting slightly. Hatomi carried her obi and bento box in one hand as she came into the kitchen to drop off the bento box so Neji and Tenten could fill it back up.

"Our apologies on the lateness, Lee-sensei wanted to lecture us," Hatomi said.

"On what?" Neji questioned from beside her at the stove.

They were _just_ finishing cooking dinner. Normally Hizashi and Hatomi were back by four-thirty which meant they had enough time to clean up before joining her, Neji, Shi, and Shun at five-thirty to eat.

"Well," Hizashi said.

He rubbed the back of his head and looked at his sister. She huffed and crossed her arms under her bust, eyes narrowing, a scowl coming to her face, and holding her obi in one hand.

"Hizashi, Metal, and Lee-sensei took their shirts off because of the heat so I did as well—" Hatomi started.

"You _what?_ " Neji asked.

His voice had cracked and he dropped the pepper he had been using to season the soup with. Tenten gave him a look and he scowled but he wasn't looking at her. No, he was _glaring_ at Hatomi who stared straight back.

"Here we go," Hizashi muttered.

He sat at the table and propped his chin on the palm of his hand, his elbow resting on the table.

"These," Hatomi stared.

She grabbed her ample chest in both hands. Tenten kept her laugh back as Neji's eyes widened and his lips parted.

"Are nothing but balls of fatty tissue made to feed children. It is not my fault others have sexualized them and if this fat were anywhere else on my body people would be disgusted. Furthermore, you and every other defined male can be _just as_ sexual when your shirts come off. My gender has _nothing_ to do with what I am capable or incapable of doing when it comes to _my body._ "

Tenten wanted to hug Hatomi. She didn't, yet, but she would later. Tenten had to put a hand over her mouth to stop from laughing at Neji's stunned face. Hatomi lowered her hands and kept glaring at her father.

"You got the short version," Hizashi mentioned.

"What's the long version?" Shun questioned.

"You don't want to know," Hizashi said.

"Hn," Shi muttered.

Tenten failed in keeping back a giggle as Hatomi ignored her brothers and kept staring at her father in challenge. Tenten kept laughing when Neji sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and looked as his Princess wearily.

"And people say you do not take after your mother," Neji said.

Tenten swatted him. Jerk. He raised an eyebrow at her but smiled.

"In a good way," Neji said.

Tenten smiled then chuckled when Hatomi blinked in wonder.

"You make complete logical sense, as usual. Just, be careful when you go taking your shirt off in public, hm?" Neji drawled.

"Of course," Hatomi said.

"Hn,"

Happy sound and with the sound the issue was settled. Tenten and Neji handed out dinner, they all gave thanks and ate, and everyone helped to clean up. Hatomi raced to the main bathroom, hitting Hizashi in the face with the door when he got close to it, and he trudged to the en suite.

Tenten and Neji filled their kids bento boxes, all four of them, with help from Shi and Shun. Hatomi and Hizashi came back from showers, Hizashi first, and they settled on the couch together to unwind, talking about their day while the television played some nature documentary in the background.

The kids went to bed at eight-thirty and Tenten smiled as they repeated their nightly ritual: the kids saying "good night," Neji saying "sleep tight," and her saying "don't let the bed bugs bite." She hoped Hizashi took the "Fetishes for Beginners" book off his bed before lying down in it. Tenten started giggling when all four doors closed and noticed Neji giving her a confused look.

"I'm picturing the look on Lee's face when Hatomi took her shirt off," Tenten said.

Neji snorted. She smiled when he put his head on her shoulder and sighed. A light smile decorated his features and Tenten held his knee. They both looked up when a knock came to the door. Only one person they knew knocked so rapidly.

"I guess we should've figured," Tenten said.

Neji hummed but got up off the couch to answer the door. Lee flew into the house, whispering loudly (he knew bedtimes) and gesturing wildly about what Hatomi had done. When he stopped to take a breath, Neji raised an eyebrow at their teammate, best friend, and uncle to their kids.

"We know," Neji said.

Lee hit the floor with a thud and a groan: both hands over his face and sprawled out on his back. Neji chuckled at him but returned to his position beside Tenten on the couch but this time he crossed his arms over his chest. Lee sat up and pointed to both of them with his eyes wide and his mouth opening and closing.

"She gave us her logic and we agree," Neji said.

"But, but, but," Lee tried.

"Hey, she's allowed to take her shirt off in this heat with all the training you put her through. And don't give me that look. _You_ were totally fine with it when I took my shirt off or wore a sports bra under a sorry excuse for a tee shirt," Tenten said.

Neji snickered as Lee fell over again. Tenten smacked Neji in the shoulder but he gave her a wink. Tenten grinned. Lee sat up again.

"But this is different," Lee said. "She's my niece! And I know what boys their age think because I was one!"

His shouts were normal talking volume and the three of them paused to see if anyone woke up. No movement. Lee sagged. Neji sighed.

"Trust me, I know. But unless you can come up with a logical excuse as to why Hatomi is not allowed to take her shirt off when Hizashi and Metal can then we will have to deal with it. Besides, she can kill anyone who tries to hurt her and I am certain Hizashi would help," Neji said.

Lee let out a breath but shook his head. A small smile did appear on his face as he met their eyes.

"Hizashi did threaten Metal with projectiles if Metal touched her inappropriately, mind you he said it would be after Hatomi dealt with him," Lee said.

Tenten giggled as Neji grinned. Lee got to his feet and sat beside Neji on the couch, leaning back so his head rested on the top of the couch and his legs were sprawled out in front of him. Tenten smiled at Lee when Lee placed a hand on his forehead and chuckled.

"Do you two wish you could go back to when they were less complicated to deal with?" Lee questioned.

"Yes, well, today especially," Neji said.

Tenten rolled her eyes but kept her mouth shut. It was rare for Lee and Neji to have a heart-to-heart so to speak.

"I want her to be six again, that age where she allowed me to hug her for as long as I wanted but was still curious enough things were interesting. When she still wanted me to do her hair for her and tuck her in at night. Where she just started more advanced training and thought all boys besides her brothers were gross and to be avoided. Six was a good age," Neji said.

Tenten snickered at him but he ignored her. Lee smiled and wrapped an arm around Neji's shoulders.

"Agreed, life was so much simpler before they hit puberty," Lee said.

Tenten laughed at both of them but they smiled. She leaned against Neji and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. He kissed the top of her head as she rested on his shoulder and put a hand on his chest, wrapping her other hand around his waist.

"I do not get a kiss, Neji?" Lee asked.

Tenten coughed but it failed to hide her laugh. Neji raised an eyebrow at Lee then sighed when Lee put his head on Neji's other shoulder. Lee grinned like a maniac as Neji rolled his eyes. Tenten felt Lee wrap an arm around Neji's waist and Lee put his other hand over Tenten's before giving Neji a puppy dog look. Neji sighed and pecked Lee on the head.

"Idiot," Neji muttered as Lee beamed.

Tenten kept laughing. Neji had a small grin on his face and Tenten knew he didn't mind hugging Lee so close. Lee was a precious person as well and the war had made them all realize how much they meant to each other. Tenten would enjoy these little moments so she could tease her husband about them later.

* * *

Saturday's training lasted three hours which meant Hatomi had enough time to go home, shower, and change into non-shinobi attire to meet with Sarada and Chocho for a late lunch at the yakiniku place. Hatomi had asked father this morning about it seeing as Hatomi was technically still grounded and all. He had mercy on her and she hugged him tight.

He had not been home, nor had mother, when she had gotten back home to shower. Hizashi had decided to stay with Lee and Metal but Hatomi did not care. She needed a break from all the testosterone.

"Hatomi, hey!"

Hatomi grinned when she spotted Sarada waving at her. Hatomi quickened her pace but did not run up to her friend or shout back. That was not her style. Instead she walked up to Sarada and Chocho gracefully with a smile on her face.

"Wow, nice outfit," Chocho said.

Hatomi looked down at her tight black short shorts, pink crop top with no sleeves, and the chunky gold bracelets she wore. A delicate gold chain with a pink heart pendant hung from her neck and she wore pink non-shinobi sandals on her feet. She had tied her hair into a high pony tail with a pink ribbon.

"Thank you. You look good as well," Hatomi said.

Chocho flushed. She wore a white skirt to her knees and a white tank top with slender sleeves. White non-shinobi sandals graced her feet. Chocho hadn't done her hair any differently but had put on a silver bracelet.

"Thanks," Chocho said.

"I like your skirt, Sarada," Hatomi said.

She was not lying either. The skirt was red, pleated, and ended at Sarada's mid-thighs. Sarada had paired the skirt with a light pink tank top, a black bracelet, and black non-shinobi sandals. Sarada adjusted her glasses as she thanked Hatomi.

"Shall we?" Hatomi questioned.

"Yeah, I'm starving," Chocho replied.

Hatomi smiled and they headed inside. The wait was not long and soon they were grilling beef and vegetables. Hatomi ate the steamed white rice delicately as Chocho dug in happily. Sarada nibbled on her rice then smiled at Hatomi.

"So, how's your dad?" Chocho asked.

Sarada shrugged and Hatomi watched her thinking about it.

"We had a talk about everything, like why he's never sent a message to us and why he never took time off. He just got used to being alone and thinking he didn't deserve to be happy so mom smacked him around a bit and told him after everything he's gone through he deserves it the most.

"He's sticking around for a while, I mean, still going out for a week or something twice a month but he's going to try to be home more. The whole thing with Shin is pretty much over so he's not really needed on the field but mom told me he's not used to being in the Village all the time. I get it. It still sucks, but I get it."

Hatomi did not get a chance to comment, nor did Chocho as Sarada switched topics on them too quickly:

"So, how's training with the two Green Beasts and your brother?" Sarada asked.

Hatomi smirked lightly then shook her head.

"Surprisingly enjoyable but solely because of the work out I get. I could do without waking up at three thirty in the morning and hearing about youth all day though," Hatomi said.

This made both her friends laugh.

"And you?" Hatomi questioned.

Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Boruto can be a real pain in the ass and Mitsuki's plain weird sometimes. Konohamaru-sensei is okay though. He was trained by Naruto-sama so he's teaching us all sorts of cool things but I could do without the Sexy Jutsu. At least Boruto and Mitsuki didn't seem impressed by it either,"

Hatomi did not want to know what the Sexy Jutsu looked like. She had read about it in books though.

"Eh, Shikadai is as lazy as ever and Inojin seems more interested in using his ink summons instead of his mind jutsu so it's hard to do an Ino-Shika-Cho thing. Moegi-sensei doesn't know how to handle it. We should've gotten Konohamaru-sama, no offense Sarada, but a Sarutobi usually teaches my team."

Hatomi nodded with Sarada as Chocho pouted.

"I know, trust me. It's been like that for generations but Konohamaru-sensei wanted to teach Boruto since Naruto-sama taught him. Kind of like, carrying on the line or something."

Hatomi frowned. That was not a good enough reason to break a tradition which went back generations. Naruto-sama had spent some time with Moegi-sama as well. Then again Moegi-sama did not know Naruto-sama's jutsu like Konohamaru-sama did.

"At least I don't have to get up at three-thirty," Chocho said. "That's intense. I wouldn't last one day training with Lee-sama."

"I hardly lasted the first day," Hatomi said. "Then I found out Metal and Lee-sensei had been there an hour before doing handstand push ups _and_ stayed after to do more training."

"Jeez," Sarada muttered.

"Gah that makes me tired just thinking about it," Chocho said.

Hatomi nodded in agreement. They each got some beef off the grill as well as some vegetables. Hatomi spread the rest of her rice into the plate then mixed the beef and vegetables in her rice. Chocho went do to the same but she was out of rice. Hatomi smiled as Chocho raised her chopsticks into the air.

"Hey, can we get some more rice over here?" Chocho called out to the waitress.

"Slow down, fatty," a teen boy said from the table to their right.

Chocho flushed and put her hand down. Hatomi turned to the laughing teens and glared. The three who had not said a word stopped laughing but the one who had insulted Chocho smirked at her.

"She is an Akimichi, part of the clan who gains chakra through consumed calories. Besides, women come in all shapes and sizes and what the media portrays as ideal is not always perfect for everyone," Hatomi said.

She saw Chocho smile lightly out of the corner of her eye. Sarada grinned. The teen laughed. Hatomi snarled but he did not back down.

"Whatever you say, tits," the boy said.

Hatomi stared at him, forcing her eyes to stay narrowed and her lips not to part. Sarada and Chocho gaped for her though.

"My worth is not based on my cup size," Hatomi said.

The teen laughed again while his friends gulped.

"Sure, tits, tell me that again when you're not wearing something that shows off your cup size," he said.

Hatomi kept her eyes on him instead of staring at her shirt. It was _not_ her fault the heat had not let up and she had decided to wear the shirt because it would keep her cool. Only an inch of her waist was visible and yes the shirt was tight across the chest but all of her shirts were tight. She would have to wear layers to disguise her breasts and even then they would stick out. It was not even her fault she happened to get the well-endowed Hyuuga genes.

"Well, I certainly hope your pathetic attitude does not match _your_ size or you would be atomically like a child's male doll: nothing there," Hatomi shot back.

The teen's friends started covering up their mouths to stop from chuckling too loudly while the instigator gaped at her. The waitress had a smile on her face, amused, as she put a plate of rice down on their table. Hatomi went to her food as the guy kept staring at her in wonder. Chocho happily put some rice on her plate before mixing in her vegetables and beef.

"Wow, sexy _and_ smart," the teen said.

Hatomi had to swallow hard so she did not choke. She raised an eyebrow at the teen boy who stood and sat beside her on the bench. Suddenly Hatomi hated taking the middle of a bench which left ample room to either side. She looked to Chocho and Sarada who were staring at her with wide eyes and dropped jaws. The teen's friends were snorting and laughing at him.

"So, can I interest you in a date?" the teen asked.

Hatomi glared at him. He smiled.

"You have five seconds to remove yourself from my side. If you do not leave then I will hurt you," Hatomi said.

He laughed. She kept glaring. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"Five," Hatomi said.

He put an arm at the back of the bench and kept smiling. Cocky little bastard thought she would not be able to hurt him. She would prove him wrong. Her beauty did not mean she was incapable of defending herself.

"Four," Hatomi said.

He leaned against the table in a way he probably thought was seductive but she snorted. He did not realize who he dealt with. She would warn him now and _if_ he was smart he would back off.

"Three," Hatomi said as she activated her Byakugan.

Now his eyes almost fell out of his head and she could see his tonsils with how wide he opened his mouth. He scrambled backwards off the bench, falling on his ass on the floor and scooting back into his seat. Hatomi kept her Byakugan activated.

"So you are aware, my name is Hyuuga Hatomi, not tits. My father is Hyuuga Neji, yes _that_ Hyuuga Neji and my mother is Hyuuga Tenten, yes _that_ Tenten. Perhaps you should pay more attention to your lessons so you do not make a similar mistake when speaking to people who can kick your ass without breaking a sweat," Hatomi said.

The teen sputtered out an apology then got to his feet. He tossed some ryo at the table then took off running. His friends followed after paying for their mostly uneaten meal, calling jokes after him. Hatomi deactivated her Byakugan and went back to her meal.

Sarada burst out laughing. Chocho offered her a fist bump and Hatomi took it. A few people around them applauded and Hatomi smiled. She placed more meat on the grill as Sarada put a more vegetables on.

"So, what were we talking about?" Chocho asked.

"Training," Sarada said.

Chocho winced.

"Let's move onto something else, yeah? Like where we're going to go shopping after this," Chocho said.

Hatomi chuckled but agreed. It would be a good day.

* * *

"Hey Tenten,"

Tenten glanced to Ino who had an amused grin on her face. Tenten let the straw of her chocolate shake pop out of her mouth. For some reason, Sakura, Temari, Karui, Yusa, and Hinata were trying not to laugh. Tenten looked down at her qipao dress but didn't see anything wrong.

"What?" Tenten finally gave in.

"Did Neji see the outfit Hatomi's in?" Ino questioned.

Tenten blinked then turned to where the other four were looking. She almost dropped her shake and didn't know whether to laugh or cover her daughter in a garbage bag and drag her home before Neji saw her.

Hatomi wore _short_ tight black shorts that reached past the v of her groin by _maybe_ four inches. Her shirt was tight, pink, and exposed a bit of her belly but it had no sleeves. It even dipped kind of low to expose the top of her d-cup breasts. Long hair had been put up into a high pony tail so the tips wavered temptingly around her hips. Tenten knew Hatomi didn't know she _strutted_ with a tempting waggle to her hips as she walked. Hinata did the same but it was because of training in the Gentle Fist style.

Hatomi smiled at Sarada and Chocho who were giggling and carrying a bag from a clothing shop a few blocks away. Every teen male, even some older, stared at her as she passed, grinning happily and watching Hatomi's ample chest bounce. Tenten knew her daughter wasn't wearing a supportive bra because of the way her boobs jumped. Neji would faint, wake up then scream at Hatomi if he saw her.

Hatomi would argue about feminist ideals which Tenten loved but Hatomi would give her father a damned stroke. Tenten knew exactly why Hatomi had dressed the way she did. It was hot out and the less material on a body, the less heat retained. Hatomi couldn't help having the body of an older girl.

"I don't know whether to laugh or go cover her up," Tenten said.

This made the others laugh. Tenten didn't think it was so funny. At least Chocho and Sarada dressed well. Then again they did not have the natural confidence Hatomi oozed. Chocho hated her larger size while Sarada was self-conscious about her lack of chest. Tenten didn't have to ask to know. It was obvious in the way Sarada stared at Hatomi's budding boobs for the past two years with a pout.

"Woah,"

Tenten turned at the familiar voice and spotted Boruto, Metal, Shikadai, Inojin, Mitsuki, and Hizashi stop in their tracks a half block away from their mothers. Boruto had been the one to exclaim. Tenten groaned while the women with her kept snickering.

Hatomi had heard Boruto's shout and raised an eyebrow at him. Tenten watched feeling tired all of a sudden while the males approached the three females. Hizashi was glaring at the back of Boruto's head but Boruto didn't notice.

"Problem, Uzumaki?" Hatomi questioned.

"Nope, not at all," Boruto said to Hatomi's chest.

"Hey, that's my sister you jerk," Hizashi said.

He followed this up with a punch to the top of Boruto's head. Boruto winced as he almost fell on his knees, holding the top of his head with both hands. Tenten saw Hatomi smirk. She watched as Boruto glared up at Hizashi.

"So tell her to put on more clothes if she doesn't wanna be stared at," Boruto said.

Hizashi whacked him again. Boruto yelped then fell on his ass. Hatomi snorted and crossed her arms under her bust (it didn't help the stares she was getting) and put her weight onto her right foot (again, not helping). She stared down at Boruto who gaped up at her.

"It is almost forty degrees out. If I want to wear less clothing to keep cool than it is my prerogative. It is not my fault if you get distracted easily and cannot contain your hormones around a person you have known literally forever," Hatomi said.

"I love your daughter, really," Ino said.

"Thanks," Tenten muttered.

"She is quite the spitfire," Yusa said.

"I know,"

"Seriously, she's kick ass," Temari said.

"I'll let her know,"

"Neji-niisan will still be angry,"

"Oh I know,"

"And you'll have to beat the guys back with your Bo," Sakura said.

"Yep,"

"After she beats them up first and after Hizashi makes them pincushions," Karui said.

"Yeah,"

Tenten watched as Boruto kept gaping at Hatomi. Inojin slipped up beside her and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Can I sketch you?" Inojin asked.

He yelped when Hizashi dragged him back by the collar and flung him to the ground. Hizashi huffed at his friends while Hatomi watched in amusement. Tenten saw a flash of familiar dark hair and winced. The fun would end in a moment.

"Hyuuga Hatomi,"

Hatomi blinked then turned towards Neji who strode towards her with a scowl.

"Father," Hatomi said.

"What in the _Hell_ are you wearing?" Neji questioned.

"Oh Kami," Tenten grumbled as her friends laughed.

She got to her feet as Hatomi repeated her lines about being hot, wearing what she wanted, and all that to her father with an annoyed look on her face. Neji did not look impressed. He was about to speak but Tenten grabbed his hand and dragged him backwards. He huffed but dug in his heels. Tenten sighed and looked into his murderous expression.

"Neji, stop being so overprotective," Tenten said.

"But she is—" Neji started.

"Half naked, I know. She's got all the important bits covered and Hizashi's all ready knocked Boruto over the head and shoved Inojin to the ground to protect her. You and I both know she doesn't need it. Besides, you didn't care when I used to wear stuff like that," Tenten said.

Neji's mouth opened then closed as his eyes widened. He looked to Hatomi who kept scowling at him, right hip thrust to one side and arms crossed under her bust then looked to Tenten who raised her eyebrows at him.

"But she is my daughter," Neji said in a sort of whine.

Tenten saw Hatomi roll her eyes and sigh. Tenten swallowed her giggles when Hatomi stepped forward and hugged Neji tightly. He stared at her for a moment then put his free hand around her petite waist.

"That is right, father, I am _your_ daughter which means I am intelligent enough to know what I am doing and powerful enough to take care of myself," Hatomi said.

Tenten let go of Neji's hand with a smile on her face and watched as Neji wrapped his princess into a hug, a grin coming to his face. Hatomi stepped back before Neji would have wanted her too but he patted the top of her head.

"Fine," Neji said.

All the boys except Hizashi of course, stood stiffly and gaped when Neji glared at them, Byakugan activated. Tenten smacked her forehead with the heel of her right hand.

"If _any of you_ hurt my daughter I will slaughter you after she and her brother are finished with you," Neji said.

"Sir," the boys replied.

Neji hummed, nodded then strode away as if he hadn't threatened the boys. Tenten followed him to her table with the girls. He put some ryo on the table to cover her shake then kissed the top of her head before walking off. Tenten rubbed her forehead as Hatomi smirked at the boys, punched her brother in the shoulder in a friendly way then led Sarada and Chocho (who were laughing) off to the next store.

"Wow," Ino said.

"Yep,"

"That was hilarious," Sakura got out between giggles.

"Yep,"

"I'm so glad I don't have a girl," Temari said.

"Uh-huh,"

"I want a girl to see how Lee will react," Yusa said.

"Ah,"

"Urg, Naruto's going to be as bad with Himawari,"

"You bet,"

"I'm kind of glad Chocho took after her father,"

"I wish Hatomi took more after me physically. Stupid Hyuuga boob genes. No offense, Hinata,"

"None taken, Tenten-chan. I hate them too,"

They all laughed at this, including Tenten. Tenten watched as Hizashi dragged his friends in the opposite direction of his sister, more specifically Boruto and Inojin. Metal, Shikadai, and Mitsuki followed after a moment but not without giving Hatomi's butt a good looking at.

Hatomi disappeared into a store but not before glaring at the boys with her Byakugan which made Tenten laugh harder, especially when the three males shivered and ran to catch up to Hizashi. Neji was wrong. The teen years were the most fun.

* * *

Ahaha, poor Neji. His princess is growing up and he hates it.

Yes, Hatomi is rather _well_ endowed. We all know how pretty her daddy was at her age and how _endowed_ Hinata is. Hatomi's an early bloomer to the dismay of her parents, uncle, and brothers. And yes, Hatomi totally picked up Tenten's "girls can do what boys can do" attitude but is taking it to extremes, logically of course.

I didn't forget about the book Hizashi has in his possession in case you're wondering. I might even give him a few PoV scenes soon. ;)


	19. Kinky Sex

**Kinky Sex**

 **Author's Notes:** So this chapter is dedicated to Hizashi, mainly. Why? Cuz his PoV is surely going to be just as interesting as Hatomi's PoV and hey, why not? Besides, seeing some things from _his_ perspective opens up a new light on him and Hatomi. And probably Neji and Tenten as well.

Also, Hizashi and Neji have a talk after Hizashi reads the _book_ Neji and Tenten let him borrow. And there's a bit of a time skip because Hizashi's embarrassed about learning _stuff._

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

Also: I'm back! Expect weekly updates of this and potentially weekly updates of _Life, Love, and Genin._ I'm way ahead on both so yeah. I do want to note from here on out there will be some general hate going on with Boruto/Mitsuki BUT it will be resolved. They go through a learning experience.

* * *

The August heat gave way to September temperate climates which melted into the cool October and November weather. In a few weeks they would get snow and Hizashi hated the fact more this year. Lee-sensei had told them they would train even in the snow which put Hatomi in a prissy mood.

Sure, his sister was a damned good shinobi but she was also the most feminine of the girls. She didn't like getting dirty, she didn't like being sweaty, and she hated the sheer thought of being wet outside of a shower or pool or beach. When they had trained for the first time in the rain, Hatomi stood under an umbrella by the posts, glaring until Lee-sensei took her umbrella away and asked what she would do if it rained on a mission. Hatomi had been in a sour mood the rest of the day and into the next evening.

Hizashi didn't mind training in the rain or the thought of training in the cold. What he loathed was the fact when snow covered the ground or came down in clumps it was hard for him to distinguish shapes and people. His world was made up of black, white, and shades of gray which were fewer when the snow came because snow covered shades he used to differentiate objects.

It didn't even matter he would have his Byakugan activated for most of training. He hated the thought of Lee-sensei or Metal finding out he couldn't see the green of their spandex or the orange of their leg warmers in the snow. He was pretty sure he wasn't seeing the proper colors even when he activated Byakugan but no one would be able to tell him if his suspicion was true or not.

Hizashi sighed and watched as Lee-sensei in his medium gray spandex and slightly lighter gray leg warmers and scarf instructed them on the basics of proper mission etiquette. Lee-sensei's hair was black, his face and skin a kind of pale gray, and his eyes black like his hair. The grass matched the gray of his spandex and the sky almost matched the shade of his leg warmers and scarf.

This was why Hizashi hated sparring against Metal. If Metal hit the ground rolling then for a few short moments, Hizashi couldn't see him. Of course, his Byakugan helped but he hated relying on his dojutsu to see what normal people saw by simply opening their normal eyes.

"Understood?" Lee-sensei asked.

"Yes, sensei," Hizashi said with Hatomi.

Metal screamed it. Lee-sensei gave them a "nice guy" pose and wished them good luck on their mission. All they had to do was find a cat. With two Byakugan users in the group this would be easy especially since one could discern the cats around Konoha by color.

Hatomi took the lead but Hizashi didn't mind. They both activated Byakugan and Hizashi blinked when his world burst into light. Grass became green, the sky turned a gray-blue shade, Metal's leg warmers were now orange, and Hizashi saw Hatomi wore a deep red shirt in her typical style under a light autumn jacket in dark blue.

Huh.

He had thought the jacket was black. Hizashi pulled his thoughts from Hatomi's jacket and focused on searching for the cat. It was said to be light brown with a white belly and a pink ribbon on the right ear. Hizashi stretched out his vision field to the max: four hundred and fifty meters.

Hatomi had fifty meters on him but he didn't mind. Dad told them both if they kept working on it eventually they could get up to eight hundred meters like him. Hatomi had asked why he stopped and dad had simply said the eye strain after eight hundred meters was too much.

"Hizashi and I will locate the target," Hatomi said. "Metal, you will try to corner Korra."

It sounded weird to get her voice out in the open and in the ear piece in his ear.

"Hizashi, you take the area near the left. I will go right. Metal, stay somewhat in the middle of us. We will keep an overall distance of four hundred meters at any time."

"Roger," Metal said.

"Gotcha," Hizashi said.

"Scatter," Hatomi told them.

They scattered. Metal came with Hizashi for a hundred meters then stopped. Hizashi stopped angling away until Hatomi was four hundred meters to his right. They kept moving forward and Hizashi scanned the area around him. A few cats came under his vision but none of them had ribbons.

He did see a light brown one but it didn't have a white belly. A few orange cats. A black one. Hizashi frowned. He spotted Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki weeding some garden. At least they hadn't gotten that mission. Lee-sensei would've made some crazy challenge out of it.

A flash of pink made him refocus his Byakugan and slow. Light brown cat, white belly, pink ribbon on the right ear: the target.

"Target acquired, four hundred meters to my direct left," Hizashi said.

"Move in," Hatomi commanded.

"Roger," Metal said.

Hizashi waited for Metal to catch up to him then headed in the direction of Korra the cat. Korra sat on the roof of some house, licking one paw and not paying attention to anything around her.

"Approach with caution as we do not want the target to run off," Hatomi said.

"Gotcha," Hizashi said.

"Roger," Metal said.

Okay, so in theory their "target" was a nine or ten pound cat. Technically they _should_ be able to outrun it and out manoeuvre it but cats were apparently annoying. If this was an away mission, Hizashi could simply hit the target with...hm.

"Hatomi, permission to use a numbing needle?"

"A what now?" Hatomi questioned.

Hizashi rolled his eyes. They were a hundred meters from Korra. Hatomi was still two hundred meters off but she would meet up with them shortly. She was still the quickest in the group likely because of her smaller bone structure.

"Permission to use a senbon with the tip dipped in a numbing agent so the target can't run?"

He saw Hatomi think about it.

"How powerful is this numbing agent? Will it kill the target?" Hatomi questioned.

"Half a drop wouldn't even paralyze Shi or Shun. They'd get a little drowsy, yeah, but I'm not even intending to use half a drop. A quarter should do it and you can see she's on a flat roof so no chance of her tipping. Besides, if she does start to fall, we're close enough to catch her."

"Permission granted."

Hizashi grinned. He stopped twenty-five meters away and Metal stopped with him. Hizashi took a senbon from his weapon's pouch; found the vial of numbing agent then dipped two millimeters of the senbon into the vial. He waited for the excess to come off then looked to Metal.

"See her?" Hizashi asked.

Metal nodded.

"Get ready to go catch her just in case. So yeah, start running now," Hizashi said.

Metal took off. Hizashi watched. Twenty meters. Fifteen meters. Ten meters.

Korra looked up.

Hizashi flung his senbon as Korra jumped towards the edge of the roof. The senbon struck her in the back of the neck and she yowled then sprawled on the roof. She rolled and the senbon fell out of her. Metal caught her as she came off the roof.

"Target caught," Metal said happily.

"Good," Hatomi said from behind.

She was fifty meters away now. Hizashi waited for her to catch up then joined Metal on the roof Korra had been on. The cat looked up at them and meowed. She began struggling in Metal's grip but Metal held her close to his chest, petting her lightly and humming. She began relaxing in his grip.

Hizashi smirked. They had completed the mission in twenty minutes. It had been an easy five thousand ryo which meant this week he wouldn't feel so bad about going out to with the guys for dinner or something.

"Let us return to Lee-sensei," Hatomi said.

"Done," Hizashi said.

He picked up his senbon then caught up to Metal and Hatomi. Lee-sensei had stayed in the field, still training and Hizashi smirked along with Hatomi when they saw him. They landed near him and he turned, eyes widening in awe.

"My students," Lee-sensei shouted.

Korra, who had been half asleep in Metal's arms, meowed in shock. Metal hushed her and Korra began kneading him and purring. Lee-sensei gave them a nice guy pose.

"To the Hokage Tower," Lee-sensei said, though not as loud.

They walked to the Hokage Tower and Hizashi had to deactivate his Byakugan once they left the training field. His world went back to shades of gray and he inwardly sighed. It didn't take them long to hand off Korra and get their payment. Lee-sensei got them another mission and they took some dogs on a walk.

This one couldn't be sped up as they needed to walk the dogs for a full hour. Hizashi didn't mind walking the four dogs until his pooped and he had to stop to clean it up. Hatomi giggled at him then scowled when her miniature white poodle took a dump on the side of the road.

Metal's dogs did their business five minutes later and Hatomi carried Metal's two bags since Hatomi flat out refused and Metal should have both hands free since he had two dogs.

The mission went off without an issue and they deposited their bags in a can at the bottom of the Hokage Tower stairs before returning the dogs and collecting their ryo. Lee-sensei took them back to the training field and they sparred.

Hizashi didn't mind in the slightest because he could activate Byakugan and see the glorious colors of the trees around their training field: yellow, orange, red, and shades of all sorts between. The leaves weren't as plentiful as they had been last week as winter was coming but there were enough to make him happy.

By five thirty they were at home and eating with mom, dad, Shi, and Shun. Showers had all ready been taken and Hizashi let his hair mainly air dry on his shoulders. He described their mission and as suspected, mom grinned when he told her about how he had hit Korra with a senbon.

"Ha, I did the same thing when we found the cat. It's why I could never touch it after but it always snuggled into Lee. Your dad didn't want to hold it, ever, but it always looked at him like it wanted him to pet it just once," mom said.

"Hn,"

Dad's amused sound.

"Can we get a cat?" Shun asked.

Hizashi stared at his younger brother then looked to mom and dad. Mom had her head tilted to one side and her eyes wide, lips parted. Dad had raised an eyebrow but besides that his face showed no expression. Shi and Hatomi had dad's same look.

"Why?" dad returned.

Shun shrugged and a little pout came to his face. Hizashi put a piece of beef in his mouth and waited with everyone else.

"Well, Hatomi, Hizashi, and Shi are gunna be out of the house a lot of the time because of training and stuff plus when you and mom go on missions it'll be lonely," Shun said.

Hizashi opened his mouth then closed it. Shun was right. In a few years, Shi would be training on a team too. By then, he and Hatomi would be going out on away missions for days at a time. They would all be old enough that mom and dad could go away for longer if needed. Shun, the civilian of their family _would_ be all alone.

Hizashi was suddenly glad his eye issue wasn't bad enough he couldn't be a shinobi in a family of them. He felt horrible for thinking it but didn't say a word. Hizashi looked to mom who had tears in her eyes. Even dad's expression had softened.

"We will look for one tomorrow," dad said.

Shun grinned. Hizashi wished such a simple thing didn't make his brother look like he'd won the lottery.

"But, it will be _your_ responsibility," dad went on.

Shun nodded, the smile on his face widening.

"Hatomi and Hizashi will not be able to help in the care of this cat as they will be up too early to train and be training with either your mother or I afterwards. Shi has to train with us as well. During the day, your mother and I can help out when we are home but besides that, this cat will be _yours_ entirely. Understood?" dad asked.

"Understood, thanks," Shun replied.

"Hn,"

Dad's happy sound. Hizashi patted Shun on the back and dinner went on as normal. They all helped to clean up the dishes then Hizashi followed mom, dad, and Hatomi into the yard. He frowned when mom put a hand on Hatomi's shoulder.

"Hizashi," dad said.

Hizashi followed dad away from the targets. He all ready knew mom would be helping Hatomi perfect her Revolving Heaven. Sure she could do it but apparently she could be better. Hizashi hadn't even _started_ on that move. He was still working on the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.

Once Hatomi mastered the Revolving Heaven, dad would help her with the Vacuum Palm and the Mountain Crusher. Then she would move onto the Tenketsu Needle and One Blow Body. Hinata-obasan would help her learn Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist. At least he knew the Palm Bottom.

"Ready?" dad questioned.

Hizashi activated his Byakugan and fell into a Gentle Fist fighting stance. He wanted to feel the coolness of metal between his fingers and the whoosh of air as he flung out his weapons. The crack of wood against wood as his and mom's Bo hit. But no, tonight he would be a Hyuuga in training.

Sure, it would help his taijustu to know the Hyuuga style of fighting but the Hyuuga style wasn't for him. He didn't mind the quick, flowing moves but he much preferred mom's no frills fighting style with weapons. When mom kicked someone's ass there was no special technique to it. She just beat you because of pure Badassery.

Dad was badass too but there was way more technique in dad's style. More complex moves and when you got beat by dad it was more because he blocked off your chakra, not because he simply kicked your ass.

Hizashi put these thoughts out of his head when dad attacked. Hizashi blocked most of the strikes but he knew dad was holding back. Hizashi winced when dad tapped a tenketsu point with every third hit. Dad didn't block them, he was more letting Hizashi know what _could_ happen.

"Try," dad said.

His dad was a man of few words but the words had plenty of meaning if one knew how to listen. Hizashi took a breath but nodded.

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms: two strikes!"

He landed both hits on dad's upper chest and mid-stomach. He didn't block dad's tenketsu but did tap both points.

"Four strikes!"

Four more hits, right where they were supposed to be. Dad probably could have blocked him but Hizashi knew dad wouldn't until Hizashi could do the technique a few times without stopping.

"Eight strikes!"

A little smile had appeared on dad's face which told Hizashi he was doing everything properly.

"Sixteen strikes!"

The smile stayed on dad's face. Hizashi took a light breath and ignored the sweat gathering on his brow.

"Thirty-two strikes!"

Hizashi tried to think of his hands as senbon needles. It helped him move his hands quick enough and on target. Still. By the thirtieth strike he stared to get exhausted.

"Sixty-four strikes!"

Hizashi dug deep. He was stronger than he was yesterday. Stronger than he had been this morning. Stronger than he had been this afternoon...

Hizashi got to thirty-two of his sixty-four strikes and almost fell over. He stumbled in his stance, missed the next few tenketsu points then went to his knees. Damn it.

Dad hummed but not in mocking and knelt beside him in the cool grass. Hizashi could see Hatomi spinning, blue chakra flaring out from every point on her body as she created the dome around her. She failed in making it larger and went flying into the fence with a smack. At least he wasn't the only one failing.

"Thirty-two of the sixty-four tonight: good. You were at twenty-eight last night," dad said.

Hizashi met dad's white eyes. The sun had started to go down which made dad's eyes pick up on the fading light. Right now they had a pink tinge to them. In another half hour they would start glowing creepily as they picked up the silver light from the stars and moon.

"Four more," Hizashi muttered.

"Four more," dad said with a faint smile.

Hizashi let out a breath but grinned. Four more strikes. It was a huge improvement. He got to his feet and dad stood with him.

"Again?" dad asked.

"Yeah,"

"Hn,"

Again. And again. And again. Until he either got it or ran out of chakra to try again. Tonight, like last night, he ran out of chakra. But he had gotten to thirty-four hits. Hizashi lay on the cool deep gray grass and looked up at the dark gray sky with its white stars.

Dad sat beside him, not even out of breath, with his legs stretched forward and looking somewhere in the middle distance. Dad's Byakugan was still active so it was likely dad was looking at whatever Shi and Shun were doing as well as watching Hatomi _almost_ complete the bigger dome.

"You are improving well," dad told him.

"Yeah, but not quick enough," Hizashi said.

Hatomi hit the wall with a thud. Hizashi watched as she sat on her rump, panting while mom walked up to her and sat beside her. Mom had a huge grin on her face and one hand on Hatomi's shoulder. Hatomi said nothing but her Byakugan deactivated. She was as out of chakra as he was.

"Your sister has been focusing solely on the Hyuuga clan techniques while you focus on those _and_ your mother's fighting style. To be honest, you are moving along quite rapidly when you take that into consideration," dad said.

Hizashi frowned.

"Why am I learning the Hyuuga Gentle Fist style anyway? In battle I'm going to use weapons first before anything else," Hizashi said.

He saw dad scowl lightly. Dad had also turned his head to meet Hizashi's eyes and Hizashi pouted. He wasn't lying. Hizashi wouldn't drop into a Gentle Fist fighting stance in battle. He'd bring out weapons. Lots and lots of awesome sharp pointy throwing weapons. Besides, he was supposed to be like mom on Team Lee: covering Hatomi and Metal from the back.

"It gives you options. There will be times when long-range fighting will not be advantageous and you will have to resort to close-range. You may ask your mother how often she wished she had a better close-range taijustu. Why do you think she began to favor the Bo?"

Hizashi blinked. He looked to mom who was helping Hatomi to her feet. Hatomi was heading for the doors, dragging her feet and looking as exhausted as he felt.

"Furthermore if you do have a mastery over the Gentle Fist as well as mid and long range weapons you will _literally_ be the most well-rounded shinobi Konoha has ever seen. How many shinobi can you count off the top of your head who excelled in both close and long range attacks?"

Hizashi grinned. Dad _did_ make a good point. Shinobi were either close-range fighters with a bit of mid-range or long-range fighters with a bit of mid-range. No one had the potential to do _both_ like him. Deadly Hyuuga in close, fatal weapons wielder out far, with a bit of both for mid-range.

"How do you always know _exactly_ what to say?" Hizashi questioned.

Dad chuckled and deactivated his Byakugan.

"It comes with experience," dad said.

"You mean age," Hizashi teased.

Dad huffed. Hizashi laughed and saw dad smile after a moment. They got to their feet and headed towards the doors. Hizashi stopped when dad put a hand on his shoulder before they got to the doors.

"Are you finished with the book your mother and I lent you?"

Hizashi felt his cheeks go hot. Right, "Fetishes for Beginners." Stupid brain in wanting to know more about weird sex. Stupid mouth for asking when he was still half asleep.

"Er, um, not yet," Hizashi got out.

"Hn,"

Curious sound. Crap. Hizashi didn't want to admit he hadn't even cracked the spine out of sheer embarrassment. At least Hatomi hadn't asked about it.

"I mean, between training and um, hanging out with the guys, you know," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

Amused sound. Hizashi groaned and turned away from dad's little grin. Go figure dad realized Hizashi was embarrassed to read the dumb book.

"I will read it, just, um," Hizashi tried.

"Take your time," dad told him.

"Kay," Hizashi muttered.

They walked inside to see Shi and Shun playing some kind of fighting game on the television. Shun was winning but Hizashi knew Shi was letting him. Shun didn't know and again Hizashi felt like an ass being down because he couldn't see color all the time. At least he didn't forget the shapes of common things and didn't have to repeat the first grade twice over.

At least he hadn't been put into remedial learning the year after which was a damned insult. Shun was brilliant, as smart as any of them, but he had to learn like other slow kids because his sight messed up his learning abilities. It wasn't fair.

"Ha! I win," Shun exclaimed.

"Man, I suck," Shi said.

Hizashi saw dad smile but there was sorrow in the smile. Hizashi let out a breath and ruffled Shi and Shun's hair. Shun laughed and Shi frowned but took the touch without complaint.

"You two have fun. I'm going to my room to chill," Hizashi said.

Dad was smirking when Hizashi turned back around. Hizashi forced back his blush especially when Hatomi glided into the room (she never walked, not really) and mom followed behind. Hizashi said good-night to both of them and ignored their curious looks. Dad gave them a mono-syllable sound meaning "don't worry about it" and Hizashi rolled his eyes.

He shut his bedroom door behind him then locked it. Hizashi tried not to bite his lip but failed as he pulled the "Fetishes for Beginners" out of his bottom drawer. The book looked so innocent: black cover with no-frills in the title. Hizashi gulped and opened the book.

He flipped past the first page which was the title then stared at the table of contents, cheeks heating as he read the title for each chapter:

 _What is a Fetish?_

 _Common Fetishes_

 _The List_

 _What is Bondage?_

 _Dominate or Submissive? Quiz included!_

 _Bondage Dos and Don'ts_

 _Adding other Fetishes_

 _Conclusion_

Hizashi gulped. He flipped to the first chapter and started reading:

 _A fetish is an umbrella term that includes just about anything, no seriously! A person can have a foot fetish, an eye fetish, hand fetish, arm fetish, or any fetish about a body part that isn't normally sexual. These are the "body part" fetishes of course._

 _Then there are voyeurism fetishes which basically means you like to watch other people get it on but not necessarily participate. Exhibitionalists fall into this "category" of fetishes as they like to be watched or do it in a place where they_ could _be caught._

 _Material fetishes are being turned on by the feel of materials like leather, fur (fake or real), feathers, plush, lace...basically anything and everything._

 _NO FETISH is weird. Seriously. There are so many in the world and what might turn me on might not necessarily turn you or someone else on._

 _I might not understand someone's foot fetish but I can relate to how a person with a foot fetish feels when they see their partner in a killer pair of heels. Why? I get the same kind of feeling when I see my man cross-dressing._

 _A_ rush _, a thrill, instant panty-soaking..._

Hizashi almost tossed the book across the room but stopped at the last second. Kami! This was so _embarrassing!_ Sure, he had learned a lot all ready but _jeez_. He had no idea some women liked it when men dressed like women.

He had _no clue_ people liked certain non-sexual body parts in a sexual way. He wouldn't have thought people would _like_ the thought of being caught or watching people doing it. Hizashi tried not to think of what fetishes mom and dad had but failed miserably.

He groaned when he realized he might find out since there was a _list_ in this book. Hizashi bit his lip before flipping to that chapter:

 _Now that we know all about our kinks, let's take it a step further. Think of what you like in the bedroom as you read over this list with your partner. Separate the List into three categories: Definitely interested, willing to try, and HELL NO._

 _Remember, this book_ does _focus on one of the more common fetishes (Bondage) but there is a list of excellent recourses in the conclusion of this book if you want to find out about less common fetishes. Let's start!_

The list started off simple enough: touching certain body parts either in public or in private. What parts were off limits, what a person's personal pronouns were, and other concepts Hizashi had figured. Then it got _weird._

 _Willing to be on the receiving end of a strap on?_

 _Willing to be tied up?_

 _Willing to try dildos in the bedroom?_

 _Willing to try vibrating toys in the bedroom?_

 _Willing to try spanking?_

Hizashi realized there were _marks_ beside everything on the list, two actually. He studied the marks in blue pen and realized they were _mom's_ hand-writing. The marks in red pen were dad's writing style. Even with just writing an "M" or "HN" for Hell no, Hizashi could tell the difference. Mom's handwriting was big, curly, and a bit messy. Dad's writing was tiny, precise, and looked formal.

Apparently dad was totally cool with being on the receiving end of a strap on. Hizashi groaned and whacked his forehead off the open book. He flipped through the list (man, it was _pages_ long) and tried not to think about how willing mom and dad were to try all sorts of stuff.

Hizashi got to the chapter on bondage and stared. His cheeks started to heat as he read about tying a person up being an actual _thing_. People wanted to be restrained for various reasons, including the sheer pleasure of allowing someone else control. Dad's words all those months ago about being spanked came back to him and Hizashi flipped pages until he go to the chapter on dominate or submissive.

There were also people who switched between being a dominate person in the bedroom or a submissive person. Hizashi read over the quiz then gaped at the answers.

 _Wow, who'da thunk it?_ In mom's blue pen with a smilie face. Hizashi could _hear_ the sarcasm in father's written 'hn.' Mom was the dominate person and dad the submissive which mean _dad_ like being tied up.

Hizashi dropped the book on the floor when he thought about the time he and Hatomi had opened up the scroll in mom and dad's room. Wrist restraints. The collar. The _whip._ Oh Kami! Hizashi fell back into his bed and covered his face with both hands. Dad liked being tied up, restrained, and "punished" by mom.

"I shouldn't have asked," Hizashi muttered.

He kicked the book under his bed then changed to sleep. Hizashi saw it was almost ten but didn't mind too much. Tomorrow was less training, more missions which worked fine for him. He tried not to think about how mom used the restraints on dad but failed with more heat rising to his cheeks. Stupid curiosity.

* * *

"You have been strangely quiet today,"

Hizashi looked at his sister and saw she had raised an eyebrow at him. They were walking home from training and missions to what would be a filling meal and more training with mom and dad after.

"I started reading that book," Hizashi said.

Hatomi blinked at him and a light shade of gray came to her cheeks.

"Hn,"

She wanted to know more but she was embarrassed to ask. Hizashi shrugged at her.

"I don't know if you want to know," Hizashi said.

"Hn?"

Hizashi chuckled at her curious sound. Of course Hatomi wanted to know. She was as curious as him, if not more. Hell, Hatomi would break into his room to find the book if he took too long with it.

"Apparently mom's the dominate partner in the bedroom while dad's the submissive. Remember the restraints?"

Hatomi's cheeks went a deeper shade of gray and she hastily looked forward without remarking.

"Exactly," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

She didn't want to talk about it anymore but he knew the conversation wasn't over. Inquisitiveness would win over embarrassment in a few days which meant Hizashi had probably until mid-week next week to finish the book or Hatomi would come looking for it. He didn't mind, not really, because some of the stuff had sounded, well, interesting.

He had to get over the fact his _parents_ had given him the book. He didn't think he would, not quickly anyway.

The walk home stayed comfortably quiet. Hatomi made it to the door first and she stepped inside. He followed after and walked into her when she came to a stop two steps in the door. The door shut behind them and was about to ask what Hatomi's problem was then saw it.

A cat, a small one, sat in the hallway looking at them with one wide light gray eye. The other eye was scarred over, missing, and Hizashi stared at the missing eye in wonder. The cat itself was dark gray with white feet and white on the tip of the tail.

"Her name is Miruku," Shun said happily.

Hizashi stared at Shun for a few moments and tried not to laugh. Trust Shun to name his cat after something a cat drank. Miruku had stopped in mid-walk from kitchen to sitting room and kept staring at him and Hatomi with the only eye Miruku had. Hizashi activated his Byakugan and saw Miruku's eye was blue while her fur was actually black with dark brown swirl designs. The tip of one ear was split in half and she was missing a toe on one foot. He deactivated Byakugan.

"Um, cool?" Hizashi said.

"Hn," Hatomi muttered.

Shun picked up Miruku and she snuggled into him with a squeaking sound. Shun walked towards the living room with Miruku, joyfully telling the cat all about the various places the cat was allowed to go.

Hizashi made sure the door was shut behind them before going into the kitchen when Shi sat at the set table, a small grin playing at his lips, and mom and dad cooked at the stove. Hizashi made sure Shun was out of hearing distance but walked right up beside mom anyway and looked up to her.

"What, did he deliberately look for the most messed up cat?" Hizashi questioned.

Mom snickered while dad snorted. Mom ruffled his hair but he didn't mind. He settled at the table as a shower could wait and watched as Shun showed Miruku her scratching post in the corner of the room.

"Seriously," Hizashi said.

"I guess he felt connected to her. I mean, she's full grown but a dwarf, missing an eye and a toe from two separate fights, and she's got the messed up ear from a _third_ scrap. Plus she's apparently got spatial problems," mom said.

Hizashi blinked. They had a one-eyed cat that had spatial problems and was named milk. Hizashi started laughing. Hatomi had a smile on her face and Shi snickered. Mom giggled when dad grinned. Shun was oblivious to their amusement but Hizashi watched him with Miruku and knew a cat had been a great idea. For the first time in a while, Shun looked happy.

 _What IS bondage, really?_

 _The most basic definition is: bondage stops a person's movement. A lot of people have tried it at some point in their sex lives, a bit of "tie and tease" and found it to be really fun, exciting, and a great way to bring spice back into the sex._

 _Remember though: BONDAGE IS ALL ABOUT TRUST. Your submissive (passive or bottom) partner is going to be a vulnerable position while you have complete control over them. If they don't trust you completely then there are going to be some issues._

 _As the dominate (active or top) partner it's YOUR JOB to NEVER use the session (scene) just to fulfill your desires and be selfish. You got to think about the pleasure of your bottom or no one's going to have a good time._

 _So, why do people get into bondage? Well, being restrained allows a person to relax and enjoy being pleasured without having to worry about giving pleasure at the same time. Some people like fake-struggling against the ropes, or whatever because it builds up an awesome rush. When you're blindfolded, your other senses are increased which means extra pleasure from a feather light touch. Of course, it's not all about the bottom._

 _For the top they get a feeling of personal power. They're in CONTROL of someone which can especially be a turn on if the person who is bottom is normally a dominate person outside the bedroom..._

Hizashi blinked. _That_ made a lot of sense considering mom and dad's personalities in general. Dad was raised under the strict rules of the Hyuuga clan and could be controlling in his right. Mom would get a big kick out of dad letting her tie him up.

Hizashi shook his head and felt the blush come to his cheeks. He let out a breath and considered. Dad did seem like the kind of person to want to sit back and not worry about pleasing someone else. Hizashi didn't see dad fake-struggling against the restraints or being blindfolded.

What didn't make sense was the fact dad would willingly give up his control. The Caged Bird Seal had put dad under the old Hyuuga rules for most of dad's life. Dad's father, the man Hizashi was named after, had _died_ because of the relationship between the Branch House and Main House.

Hizashi shivered involuntarily. He was glad mom and dad had helped get rid of the Caged Bird Seal as well as the House divisions in the Hyuuga clan when he and Hatomi were barely two. He couldn't remember it but dad had talked about it, especially when Shi had asked what the marks on dad's forehead meant.

Hizashi ran a hand through his hair and read about bondage safety tips. There was a brief introduction to starting bondage for the first time and Hizashi found he was fascinated. It wasn't some weird thing. No, bondage was all about trust and love.

The "wind down" time or ending the scene made Hizashi smile. He could picture mom untying dad and gently cradling him in her arms, running her hands through his hair as they discussed what went well and what they wouldn't be doing again in soft voices. Bondage brought mom and dad closer.

Hizashi yelped when a knock came to his door then shoved the book under his pillow.

"Come in,"

He felt heat over his entire face as dad stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. Hizashi bit his tongue as dad walked into the room, gliding like Hatomi, really, and sat beside him on the bed. Dad's face was impassive as normal but one eyebrow was raised a bit in questioning.

"I assume you have read at least a few pages of the book," dad said.

Hizashi nodded and let out a breath.

"Yeah, I'm almost done actually," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

Hizashi smirked at dad's impressed sound. He did see a bit of pale gray on dad's cheeks and figured dad was realizing the answers and comments were in the book. Hizashi turned on his bed to he could face dad.

"So, um, how'd you guys even get into it?" Hizashi questioned.

Dad's flush deepened but a little smile had come to his face. White eyes glowed in merriment and Hizashi waited.

"It was an accident. Your mother accidently spanked me during sex and I enjoyed it. We went to an adult store and from there, well," dad finished with a shrug.

Hizashi nodded and tried not to laugh. Trust his parents to get into something kinky by accident.

"Um, does anyone else know you guys, er, I mean, they mentioned mentors and stuff in the book so," Hizashi said.

Dad frowned and shook his head.

"No one else knows. There have been a few times where your mother has gone shopping with the other women for toys but she never gets anything to our particular tastes. She said they were stunned enough she knew so much about regular toys.

"Walking into a shop that caters to sex is still taboo in most of the world and it is no exception in Konoha. People think those who go into those places are perverts or depraved in some way but honestly, we happen to like a little extra stimulation. You should _never_ be embarrassed about enjoying what you do with a partner behind closed doors."

Hizashi coughed and father snickered at him. As embarrassing as talking about his parent's sex life was, at least he was learning it from a reliable source and not off some weirdo.

"So, um, you don't, I mean," Hizashi tried.

Father chuckled.

"No your mother does not tie me up every time nor do we have sex every night. Sometimes we go a few days, sometimes sex is vanilla, and sometimes, well," He ended with another shrug.

Hizashi liked dad kept it kind of vague. He might never look at vanilla ice cream the same way again but hey, at least he knew his parents weren't freaks for liking ropes and such.

"Um, how did you guys even get through that talk without freaking out?"

Dad outright laughed at him and Hizashi grinned. Dad shook his head when he got a hold of his laughter but the smile stayed on his face.

"Your mother and I have always been open in every aspect of our relationship. The talk about what we wanted to try, what we would avoid completely, among other concepts was carried out over almost a week, three hours or more a night. We read the book together front to back then went back and did the quizzes, then the list. You do know how thorough we can be."

Hizashi snickered. Mom was all about lists and double checking. Dad was all about organizing everything the night before so they didn't forget anything. Hizashi could almost imagine the conversation about trying new stuff in bed. He let out a breath and met dad's eyes.

"Er, how do I know if, um, I'd be, I mean,"

Dad's smile was gentle and the hand on Hizashi's shoulder helped to ground him.

"You will not know until you try but do not feel pressure to try anything until you are completely comfortable. Your mother and I rushed into it but by that point we had been a couple for years and having sex for at least two or three years, teammates and best friends for many years on top of that. I trusted her; still do trust her, completely with every aspect of myself so we _could_ rush into something new.

"She knew my limits as we started and we found some limits can be adjusted. We knew what the other needed and wanted without having to ask. We do not use an actual safe-word as your mother can tell by looking at me if I am uncomfortable or having an issue with something. Bondage especially is all about trust and until you find someone you are completely trusting of I would not recommend trying bondage.

"But it is not something you should be worrying about yet. You have a few more years yet before sex becomes a part of your life."

Hizashi hugged him and dad chuckled. Hizashi couldn't help but grin. It was great having parents who didn't treat him like a kid. Mom and dad always talked to them like people instead of thinking of them as babies. They parted from the hug and Hizashi smiled.

"I might have told Hatomi about the book," Hizashi said.

Dad hummed but shrugged. Hizashi saw him tense a bit but didn't say anything. Hizashi knew dad was especially protective of Hatomi because he favored her. It was the same as mom being especially protect of Hizashi because she favored him. Both were shielding when it came to Shun and dad favored Shi a bit too.

It was all about their skill sets so none of them minded. Dad still loved Hizashi the same as he loved Hatomi, it just so happened Hatomi was dad's princess.

"It is fine though I suspect your mother might have this conversation with her," dad said.

Hizashi snickered while dad raised an eyebrow at him.

"Because it's too hard for you to think of Princess having sex?"

"Hn,"

Hizashi kept laughing. Dad joined him after a moment and they settled.

"Do you have any other questions for me?" dad asked.

Hizashi thought about it. He shook his head.

"Maybe when I'm done the book, like completely. And, um, it might be cool to talk to you and mom since, er, yeah,"

"Hn,"

Dad's amused but agreeing sound. Hizashi felt himself flushing. Dad stood, patting Hizashi's head gently. Hizashi smiled as dad walked across the room, graceful as ever then left with a little nod. Hizashi let out a happy breath and smiled. Yeah, his parents were awesome.

* * *

"The heck is in there?"

Hizashi tilted his head to follow Boruto's gaze. The shop a few feet away was called "Red Light Material" but there was nothing in display in the windows. All they could see were thick red curtains. Pieces fell into place thanks to the book and Hizashi gulped.

"No idea. Let's check it out," Inojin said.

Oh Kami. Mitsuki grinned in a creepy way and Metal said something about youth Hizashi instantly ignored. Shikadai yawned and said new places could be a drag. Boruto led the way, pulling open the door and stepping inside the shop. Hizashi had little choice but to follow the Uzumaki.

"How old are you kids?"

Hizashi almost fell over when the person behind the counter came walking up to them briskly. The man was tall with long light gray hair and light eyes. So the guy was probably like Boruto: blond and blue eyed.

"We're shinobi," Boruto said.

The man shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest.

"That doesn't mean much in here. If you're under the age of sixteen you're not allowed in here," the man said.

"Why?" Boruto said with a scowl.

"Because no one under the age of sixteen should be using anything in my store since these are props in sex,"

Hizashi hadn't needed the confirmation. He did see Boruto go a shade of gray from neck to forehead as Boruto's eyes almost fell out of his head and his jaw dropped. Even Mitsuki looked stunned. Metal made a kind of choking sound, saying this wasn't the kind of youth he needed right now and took off.

"Er, right, let's go," Hizashi said.

Despite everything, he was the tallest and broadest in the group. Shikadai needed no prompting and left with a blush decorating his cheeks, dragging Inojin who had frozen in shock, behind him. Hizashi grabbed Mitsuki and Boruto then pulled them onto the street.

They kept walking until they had turned a corner. This was when Boruto, Mitsuki, and Inojin got over their stunned embarrassment. Metal slumped to the ground and hung his head. Shikadai muttered about troublesome stores. Hizashi ran a hand over his hair and sighed.

"Jeez, who even _needs_ stuff for that?" Boruto said.

"I don't want to know," Shikadai mentioned.

"Me neither," Inojin muttered.

"My youth has been compromised," Metal whined.

Mitsuki shuddered. Hizashi bit his lip to keep from commenting. Now he saw what dad meant when dad said people found shops like the one they had left perverted.

"Anyway, let's go to the game shop or something," Hizashi said.

"Yeah, get our minds off the creeps who would go in there," Boruto said.

Hizashi tried not to take it personally considering his parents had probably gone into the shop more than once over the years. Using toys wasn't creepy but Hizashi didn't want to mention it. His friends might think he was deprived or something.

"I can't imagine him having much business," Inojin said.

"You'd be surprised how perverted adults can be," Boruto said. "My dad _and_ sensei use a jutsu called the Sexy Jutsu you know: mimicking a naked woman to distract guys which apparently works really well. One of dad's teachers used to write pervy books and Kakashi-sama read them. Adults are gross."

Hizashi bit his tongue. Sex wasn't supposed to be gross and using props wasn't a bad thing. Hizashi kept this in his head though.

"Gah let us not talk about this! Hizashi, what kind of cat did Shun get?" Metal asked.

"A weird one," Hizashi said.

Everyone looked at him with varying expressions of curiosity and amusement.

"No seriously, she has one eye, is missing a toe, has an ear split at the top and has spatial problems. He named her Miruku and yeah, she's messed up but okay. It's kind of funny to watch her try to jump up somewhere and come up short or over estimate and whack into things," Hizashi said.

This got laughter from the group. Hizashi told his friends about Miruku's weird antics as they walked to the game shop. The conversation moved to what games they would buy or what they would do for the rest of their day off.

"Cool! There's a new arcade game," Boruto said.

Hizashi followed everyone inside and to the new arcade game. No one was around it so Boruto took out some change and stuck it into the machine. It was a two player fighting game so Boruto grabbed Hizashi's shoulder and tugged him into place.

Hizashi gulped.

Playing these games at home was fine. His family knew he couldn't see color so helped him where they could by telling him the shape of something instead of the color of it. Shi always explained which bar at the top meant health, which meant special powers, and which meant something else. Shi also warned Hizashi when his health meter went from green to yellow as on a screen it was the same shade of gray to Hizashi.

"Pick a person," Boruto said.

Hizashi looked at the shades of gray on the screen. They looked person shaped yeah, but some of them had a similar color palette so they were nothing but a gray blob. He _could_ do a partial activation of his Byakugan but Boruto especially would feel the chakra flare. Hizashi scrolled over the people on the screen and tried not to panic.

"Ooo, the guy in blue looks strong," Inojin said.

"Yeah, and blue usually means water and since Boruto picked the guy in red which probably means fire, you should pick the guy in blue," Mitsuki said.

Crap. He didn't know _which_ blur represented the guy in blue. Things like color never came up in the Academy as it was assumed you knew. Besides, Hizashi could always avoid the question since if he was ever asked the rare color question, Hatomi would answer over him. Eventually they came up with a code in how she held her hands on the desk so she would stop getting yelled at. Hatomi wasn't here.

"Hizashi, pick the blue guy all ready," Inojin said.

"Yeah, yeah," Hizashi muttered.

He wanted to take off screaming. He wanted to tell Inojin _something_ witty to make it so he didn't have to try and find the gray blur which meant blue. Hizashi ignored how his hands had started sweating and trembling a bit on the controls.

He would have to pick _something_ eventually but if he picked the wrong person the guys would know. He had a one in ten, no, twelve chance of picking the right person. Not good odds.

"You just skipped him," Mitsuki said.

Oh. Crap.

"Jeez, what's wrong with you?" Boruto asked.

Hizashi let go of the controls and took two steps back. Now they were all staring at him. Hizashi didn't know what to say so he looked towards the floor and clenched his hands into fists.

"Hizashi?" Metal questioned softly.

Hizashi turned on his heel and walked out of the gaming center without looking back. He kept walking, not caring that his friends had come out behind him, calling after him. When he sensed them getting too close he took off running, easily getting onto a rooftop and gaining speed. Hizashi knew he couldn't run forever but didn't care.

They kept following even when Hizashi ran all the way into the training fields and stood in the middle of the field, panting softly. Shikadai had an annoyed look on his face, Boruto scowled, Inojin frowned while Mitsuki had a smirk on his face. Metal, Metal was concerned.

"What was that about?" Boruto questioned.

Boruto grabbed his arm to turn him around but Hizashi easily pulled out of his grip then shoved him back hard. Boruto stumbled then glared.

"Seriously, why are you so upset we told you to pick the blue guy?" Boruto demanded.

"Cuz I can't see color,"

Hizashi said it before he realized then scowled. He couldn't take the words back now. Everyone stared at him in awe then Boruto started snickering.

"Good one," Boruto said.

Hizashi punched him in the arm. Boruto yelped then pouted.

"I'm serious, jerk. I can't see color unless I activate Byakugan," Hizashi said.

He stared at the gray grass as his friends digested this information.

"So, your eyes are opposite to every other Byakugan users? You see black, white and gray normally, color when it's active while other Hyuuga see color normally and black, white, and gray when the Byakugan activates?" Shikadai questioned.

"Yeah," Hizashi said.

"So when we were telling you to pick the blue guy, you had _no clue_ which character we even meant," Shikadai went on.

"Exactly,"

"Troublesome,"

Hizashi snorted. He risked a glance at his friends to see Metal was in tears. Shikadai had a frown on his face, looking contemplative, while Inojin looked almost _pitying._ Boruto kept scowling and had his arms crossed while Mitsuki started _laughing._

"What's so funny?" Hizashi commanded.

"It's ironic, that's all," Mitsuki said. "Hyuuga are well known for their impeccable sight with and without Byakugan active but you're kind of a reject. No wonder you use your mother's fighting style."

Hizashi wasn't entirely sure what happened next. All he knew was that the world burst into color and chakra hummed along his hands. Mitsuki was being forced back, eyes wide, face contorted in pain and chakra flow shutting down.

"Sixty-four strikes!"

Hizashi didn't remember ever sounding so angry so figured someone else spoke in his place. Two, four, eight, sixteen...he stopped but not because he had gotten tired, no, he could get to thirty-five now. Shikadai had linked their shadows and Hizashi couldn't move even if he wanted to.

"Hizashi," Shikadai said.

"Let me go," Hizashi said.

"No, you'll kill him," Shikadai told him.

Hizashi blinked. He focused on Mitsuki's chakra system and felt bile rise in his throat. Shikadai was right. If Hizashi had kept going then Mitsuki would be dead. As it was, Hizashi had shut off all the chakra in Mitsuki's arms, legs, and along some parts of his chest. Mitsuki was struggling to breathe properly.

Okay, so maybe his first instinct would be Hyuuga clan techniques. Mitsuki could count himself lucky Hizashi hadn't used mom's fighting style or Mitsuki would be bleeding out of dozens of holes right now.

Boruto and Inojin were staring at him. Metal had taken off somewhere, probably to get his dad or Hizashi's dad. Hizashi stood in place, frozen, and let out a breath. Shikadai could not hold this for long but Hizashi wasn't going to finish his attack.

"I won't hit him anymore," Hizashi said.

Shikadai hummed but dropped the technique after a moment. Hizashi had to take half a step forward to stop from falling over then stilled. Mitsuki had managed to sit up and Boruto went to his side with a frown.

"Jeez, you could've _killed_ him," Boruto said.

Hizashi gritted his teeth and clenched his hands.

"Well maybe he shouldn't have called me a reject," Hizashi said.

Boruto rolled his eyes.

"It's not like he meant it," Boruto muttered.

Hizashi counted to five in his head but gave up. He was too pissed off.

"Meant it or not, it crossed the line, okay? Especially since the _only_ people who know about my issues are my family. And it's really a jerk move especially when I have a little brother who couldn't become a shinobi because of his own set of issues and to make him happy he had to get a reject cat. You have _no idea_ how hard it is for me or Shun or someone like Metal who can't manipulate chakra properly.

"Your dads are legendary sannin so no one would make fun of you or give you pitying looks even if you had something wrong because they'd be afraid of getting their asses kicked. Don't patronize me Boruto and don't blame me for getting pissed off when your idiot teammate insulted me the way he did.

"You don't know what it's like to be imperfect, to have to have a special system to make up for something you can do without even _thinking_. He crossed a line and I don't like it when people cross my lines."

Hizashi turned on his heel and strode away from his friends. Hizashi started running again when Inojin called after him. Inojin didn't follow for long and soon his friends were out of his vision field. Hizashi kept running, pushing chakra into his legs to go faster, jump higher, and disappear. He ignored the blurriness of his vision and kept moving.

The sun began to set as he moved making the sky turn into a rainbow of color Hizashi normally never saw. He stopped on the branch he stood on and watched it, marvelling at the sheer beauty of the sky as the day faded away.

Color disappeared when the sun was almost set, turning the sky into a big gray blur, and Hizashi let out a strangled sob. He sat on the branch he was on, back against the trunk of the tree and curled into an upright ball. He didn't care if shinobi didn't cry because right now he didn't feel like a proper shinobi.

What shinobi couldn't see color? Naruto-sama would probably make him give back his hitai-ate once Boruto told the entire Village Hyuuga Hizashi had almost killed Mitsuki because Hizashi was being a jerk about not seeing color. Hizashi didn't know how long he sat there but eventually his tears ran dry which left his nose clogged with snot, his throat dry, and his messed up eyes burning.

"Hizashi,"

Dad.

Hizashi looked up to see dad standing on the branch in front of him, long hair flowing in the light breeze, Byakugan white eyes picking up the light of the stars and glowing softly, and a soft expression on his face. Hizashi sniffled as dad closed the distance between them then shifted so he squatted in front of Hizashi.

"Mitsuki is fine," dad said.

"Good for him," Hizashi got out.

"Your mother and I spoke with Naruto, Orochimaru, and everyone else's parents about your sight,"

"Great," Hizashi muttered.

He watched as dad sighed. Dad looked his age in this moment, not that dad was old but a jonin of thirty-three had seen a lot and looked it.

"Orochimaru is not pressing charges as it was technically assault but he and everyone else agrees Mitsuki was in the wrong to say what he said."

Oh good, people understood.

"Naruto wants to re-test you."

Hizashi stared at his dad who scowled. Dad shifted until he half-straddled the tree branch then put both his hands on Hizashi's upraised knees.

"He wants to see if your condition will affect your skills as a shinobi."

"And if my condition does then I'm, he'll,"

Hizashi couldn't say it. Dad winced and Hizashi saw dampness in dad's white eyes.

"Yes," dad whispered.

Hizashi shifted to hug his dad and didn't know he had more tears in him. But he did and now they were soaking the shoulder of dad's shirt.

"It's not fair! I passed all the Academy tests, beating everyone but Hatomi! I'll be the only shinobi who can be close-range, mid-range, _and_ long-range! I'm supposed to be part of Team Lee and back up Hatomi and Metal! Shinobi without an eye are still shinobi! Metal and Lee-sensei can't manipulate chakra and they're shinobi! What am I supposed to do if I fail? All I've ever been is a shinobi, I can't, I won't, and a cat won't make me happy!"

Hizashi kept hugging dad as tight as he could but dad squeezed back as hard. Hizashi kept crying too but didn't care. He knew dad didn't care either. Stupid Mitsuki. Stupid Boruto in picking _him_ to play that game in the first place. Stupid reject eyes.

It wasn't fair.

* * *

Ah, totally didn't know I'd be writing that last scene. It made me tear up.

Reviews welcome.


	20. Shinobi Life

**Shinobi Life**

 **Author's Note:** *sings* still don't know where I'm going with this! *stops singing* but it's become really fun. And yeah, I'll probably switch between Tenten, Hatomi, and Hizashi's PoV for however long this continues. Maybe a bit of Neji's PoV occasionally. No I don't know when it'll end.

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

It wasn't fair.

Her son shouldn't have to be retested because people had found out he couldn't see color. Hizashi had learned to do everything anyone else could do without being able to see properly and now because of some stupid game he would have to retest. Tenten hated it.

Worse yet, Hizashi had almost _killed_ Mitsuki because Orochimaru's jerk son had called Hizashi a reject. Tenten would've filled the kid with senbon if she had heard the comment but she knew, like everyone else knew, a comment didn't mean death. What it did mean was Hizashi would probably have to go in for a psych evaluation to make sure he wouldn't snap like that again. Stupid Mitsuki.

 _Thonk. Thonk. Thonk._

The sound of her kunai hitting the targets in their backyard was normally soothing but every perfect hit reminded Tenten of her son who could do the same. What would happen to him if Naruto decided Hizashi couldn't be a shinobi anymore? What would happen to Team Lee? To Metal? To Hatomi?

Tenten let out a breath as she flung out six kunai. All six hit their intended targets. Tenten frowned at the glittering weapons in the wooden targets and scowled. Waiting sucked.

Of course she, Neji, Hatomi, Lee, Metal, or anyone else in the family wasn't allowed to attend Hizashi's testing. He would be with Naruto and Shino all day, alone in one of the classrooms to see how horribly his lack of color vision affected him. Ino would be there as well, looking into her son's brain in case he lied.

Tenten loathed she couldn't be there to help him, even to give him support. She turned from her targets to see Neji sparring with Hatomi. Neither of them were into it, she could tell by the lackluster way they struck out at each other. Shi sat on the swing, his favorite spot, with a scowl on his face. Shun patted Miruku on the porch. The cat wasn't allowed off the porch and oddly enough, had learned quickly.

Tenten began gathering her kunai and sealing them away again before sitting beside Shun on the porch. He looked up at her, white eyes damp and a frown on his face. Miruku stretched out beside him, her eye closed and purring as loudly as she could.

"Mom," Shun said lightly.

"What's up?" Tenten questioned.

She watched Shun bite his lip.

"I want Hizashi to pass his test but at the same time I want him not to pass it because then he'd be at home with me. That's bad, right?"

Tenten felt tears come to her eyes but blinked them away. She wrapped an arm around Shun's shoulders and pulled him close. Her other arm wrapped around him in a kind of sideways hug but he fell into it. Tenten kissed the top of his messy brown head of hair and leaned her chin atop his head.

"You're allowed to want company," Tenten said.

"But it's still selfish of me to want Hizashi to be upset so I can have someone at home with me," Shun said.

Tenten frowned.

"You're allowed to be selfish every now and again. And hey, you know it's a not so right feeling so it's okay. If Hizashi does fail, you'll be there to help him adjust to a non-shinobi life," Tenten said.

Shun nodded and they separated. Tenten kept an arm around his shoulders though but he didn't mind. Shun could think like a shinobi and was as brilliant as Neji, really, but took classes with the remedial civilians because of visual perception issues. Now here he was hoping his older brother's dreams would be shattered so he had some company.

Tenten wanted to laugh and cry. Go figure her and Neji's lives wouldn't be perfect. It wasn't enough he had almost died twice before he hit his twenties. It wasn't enough they had both lost their parents before they were five. It wasn't enough he had been a slave and she had no last name.

Still. They had four amazing kids. Sure, two of them had sight issues but all of them were well mannered most of the time, smart, inquisitive, and loyal to each other no matter what. They didn't have a chip on their shoulder like Boruto. They didn't sulk like Sarada because of Sasuke. They weren't self-conscious like Chocho because of something they couldn't prevent (at least not yet anyway or not that she noticed).

They weren't perpetually lazy like Shikadai or creepy like Mitsuki. They didn't refuse to learn one of their kekkei genkai over the other and they could manipulate chakra. Tenten would've still loved them even if they were like Metal or even Shikadai. Inojin wasn't a horrible kid either and Sarada was a great girl as was Chocho. She didn't think she'd ever like Mitsuki and Boruto had to be knocked around a bit (kind of like Neji way back when) so he wasn't such an ass.

So maybe Hatomi could be prissy and a bit of a know it all. Sure, Hizashi couldn't see color and wasn't enthusiastic about learning Hyuuga clan techniques. And yeah, Shi could be creepy quiet a lot of the time while Shun had his own set of issues. So her kids weren't perfect. She never expected them to be but she hadn't wanted life to suck so much for them.

At least all the other kids didn't have any physical or other issues. Okay, so she and Neji had gotten half of them fine. Kami she had to stop being so down.

She had four _awesome_ kids. Hatomi stood up for herself and was going to be a powerful Hyuuga. Hizashi had a great sense of humor and wonderful aim. Shun was kind-hearted and could figure out how to fix a broken thing by looking at it. Shi was sensitive, discretely helping his brother where he could and on his way to be a great shinobi.

Considering who she and Neji were and their pasts, they really couldn't ask for anything more. At least they hadn't had any miscarriages or still births. She had gotten her figure back quickly enough without too much overall damage. She hadn't died during birth. Her kids listened to her and Neji.

Still.

Hizashi might have to figure out something else to do for the rest of his life. She kept Shun close as Neji and Hatomi gave up on training. Hatomi strode towards the patio and Tenten smiled at her. Hatomi returned the gesture but the smile was almost an illusion with how faint it was. Hatomi sat on the swinging bench, legs curled up on the seat and looking out of the patio windows towards the sky.

Tenten said nothing as Neji sat beside her with a little sigh. Shi came over after a moment but sat in front of them on the grass. Tenten wanted to ruffle his short hair but kept her hands to herself. Shi would probably keep his hair in a crew cut if Neji didn't look so pouty about Shi having short hair. Shun's hair was mid-back length, kind of wild like hers, but he didn't mind. Their hair was the only thing people could use to tell them apart unless they looked deep into their eyes. Shi's maintained the lightest gold hint while Shun's eyes were pure white.

They all heard the front door close but no one moved. Tenten did bite her lip as she looked over her shoulder. She saw Neji and Shun looking over their shoulders as well. Hatomi had gotten to her feet and stood by the open sliding glass doors as Hizashi strode towards them.

Her son's shoulders were sagged and he shuffled more than walked with his hands shoved into his short's pockets. His eyes were dropped to the floor and he had a frown on his face. Tenten swallowed down her tears as Hizashi came to stand on the patio.

"Naruto-sama's going to discuss with Shikamaru-sama, Ino-sama, Shino-sensei, and Kakashi-sama about whether or not my results were good enough for me to keep being a shinobi. For now though, they've got my hitai-ate and I'm not allowed to train," Hizashi said.

Tenten didn't know what to say. She did stand and pull Hizashi into her arms. Tenten noticed Hatomi blinking rapidly, to keep the dampness in her eyes from spilling over. Neji had a scowl on his face, eyes narrowed slightly and eyebrows furrowed.

"I do not understand what there is to discuss," Neji said lightly but with anger in his voice.

Hizashi pulled out of her grip and she let him go. He ran a hand over his hair and sighed. His opposite hand stayed in his pocket and Hizashi regarded Neji with a little frown.

"They had me try to pick up a piece of white paper off a white table cloth and other stuff that looked the same, you know, tell the difference between a yellow, red, and green flare without the Byakugan. I sucked, like, really bad," Hizashi said.

Tenten bit her tongue to stop from wanting to hit something and scream as Hizashi rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands. Tenten watched as he lowered his hands and shook his head. He kept his head down and stared morosely at the ground. Tenten yelped when Neji got to his feet and walked past his son, into the living room then out the front door without a word.

Tenten blinked then smiled inwardly. She knew where her husband was heading. It would be her job to keep her kids distracted until he got home though. She could do it.

* * *

Color, something he saw without having to consider it or turn on his dojutsu. He had never put much thought into the ability to see the hues of the world, to tell the difference between objects because of the tone difference, or to simply watch the sun rise or go down in a beautiful array of brightness.

Then Hizashi had been trying to learn his colors and they had found out Hizashi was blind to all of the splendour nature offered. Hizashi had been six. Neji had been so stunned he had not been able to _think_ properly for the rest of the day. Fate still mocked him even if he thought fate could be changed. It did not seem to matter what he thought.

He and Tenten had discussed for weeks on how to help their son. They talked about what impact Hizashi's lack of color would have on him being a shinobi. Then Hizashi had activated the Byakugan for the first time and started crying with a smile on his face. He started talking about the colors, the beauty of it and Neji had held his son close, near tears himself.

It did not mean they could re-arrange Hizashi's drawers again as Hizashi could not keep Byakugan activated all the time. They still had to describe items in shape when it came to telling Hizashi to get something for them. Requests like "get the big _blue_ bowl down from the top left shelf" had to be changed to "get the big bowl down from the top left shelf. It's the one at the bottom on the right. We marked it with a dot."

They had a whole system: one dot meant blue, two were red, three orange, four yellow, five green, six brown, and seven purple. They had also slowly replaced a lot of their more colorful bowls and dishes with simple designs or single colored so Hizashi wouldn't get mixed up. Hizashi was also free from laundry duty unless someone helped him.

Shi and Shun described objects in video games by shape. Hatomi told him about flowers by their petals and took an hour or more a day when they were in the Academy translating the color of certain foliage they could eat into terms Hizashi would understand. Poisonous mushrooms had taken them an especially long time.

Now?

It would all be shot to Hell because of Boruto dragging Hizashi to play a new arcade game, his friends telling Hizashi to pick the blue character, and Mitsuki calling Hizashi a reject. Neji would not let six years of hard work training his son to result in _nothing._ Hizashi could be, _would be_ a superb shinobi.

Neji activated his Byakugan when he reached his destination and spotted Naruto, Ino, Shino, Shikamaru, and Kakashi all in Naruto's office. They were talking calmly but Neji did not bother to read their lips. He rushed up the stairs and simply walked into the office without knocking or announcing himself.

Everyone looked up at him as a unit. Ino nibbled on her lip, Shikamaru muttered his word, Kakashi sighed, Shino's shoulders sagged, and Naruto frowned. Neji deactivated his Byakugan and shut the door before walking deeper into the office.

"I figured you'd be here soon," Naruto said.

Naruto had bags under his blue eyes and more wrinkles on his face than Neji remembered. The vibrant, smiling boy who had shown Neji his true path twenty years ago was gone fully. Naruto hardly joked, barely laughed, and Neji rarely saw him outside of shinobi duties. Neji understood fully why Boruto hated his father so much.

"He can't _see_ properly, Neji, you should have told us this when he entered the Academy in the first place," Naruto said.

"Kakashi had no depth perception for over a year before making up a way to work through it yet he remained on active duty. He continued to have issues with depth perception when he over worked his eyes until his Sharingan was taken," Neji said.

Naruto blinked, opened his mouth then closed it. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head while Shikamaru allowed a small smile to grace his features.

"And do I even have to remind you Lee and his son Metal cannot even _manipulate_ chakra enough to do _any_ jutsu yet they are still shinobi? Or remind you that Uchiha went out with _one arm_ for an extended mission to see about the Shin issue? The issue that was resolved in part thanks to my daughter, by the way."

Naruto frowned. Ino kept biting her lip but Shikamaru, Kakashi, and Shino simply watched.

"No, Hizashi cannot see color without Byakugan but you and I _both_ know when it comes down to it he will have the Byakugan activated when it counts. He has learned how to do a partial activation, enough to allow him to differentiate between objects he might not be able to without it active.

"And really, Naruto, do you want to give up someone with Tenten's aim who will be able to see four hundred and fifty meters away, if not more? Do you _honestly_ want to bench a shinobi who will be capable of close-range Hyuuga attacks, mid-range Hyuuga and weapon assault as well as long-range weapon assault, longer range than even _Tenten_ is capable of because he will likely be able to see eight hundred meters out?"

Naruto scowled and ran his prosthetic hand over his short spiky hair. The younger Naruto would not be thinking of benching Hizashi. The younger Naruto believed in never giving up no matter what, had taught Hinata-sama the same, and had shown Neji fate could be changed. Neji wondered what happened to the younger Naruto.

"He can't see amber flares against a blue sky without the Byakugan activated. He was _barely_ able to tell the difference between eatable berries and mushrooms and poison ones. He couldn't pick out a piece of paper on a white table. Sure, he could remedy all of that with a partial Byakugan activation but a _shinobi_ would sense it," Naruto said.

Neji took a little breath to curb his anger.

"How often is he going to be picking up white paper from white table cloths? How often is he going to be in the middle of a mission without Byakugan activated so he will not be able to see a yellow flare or tell the difference between eatable and non-eatable foods? You are also forgetting _who_ Hizashi is on a team with. I assume like Team Guy, you will _not_ be separating Team Lee often," Neji rebutted.

Naruto huffed. Neji tried to relax his tense shoulders but to no avail. At least he had not unintentionally activated his Byakugan.

"He's a huge liability," Naruto said. "I let him go out in the field without proper vision and he might get your daughter or Metal killed because he didn't have Byakugan activated and couldn't tell someone was about to attack them."

"As if Hatomi _could not_ tell someone was about to attack them. And do you honestly think _my son_ cannot detect an enemy's chakra?"

" _Vision,_ Neji, vision. This isn't something that can just be—"

"Yet Kakashi was able to be an active shinobi. And let us not forget all the half-blind Sharingan users who were still allowed to be active before they were wiped out,"

"That was _then._ We're in an entirely different generation here,"

"One that is in _peace_ or so you say,"

Neji did not wince when Naruto got to his feet and slammed his fist into the table. Ino took half a step back, blue eyes widening while Shikamaru frowned lightly. Shino let out a breath. Kakashi winced.

"Peace or not I don't want to risk putting your son into the field because he can't see color all the time," Naruto said.

Neji's world became the world Hizashi saw all the time. It probably was not exact since Neji could see some color tones depending what he was trying to do with his Byakugan. Hizashi's world had zero color.

"You cannot even _tell_ the difference between him and any other shinobi when it comes to this. He has _learned_ to compensate for his issues and will get better at it with time. You _know_ that," Neji said.

Naruto shook his head. He did not sit back down nor did he lower his gaze.

"I'm sorry but I can't risk it," Naruto said.

Neji swallowed down the bile in his throat. He saw Shikamaru's shoulders sag. Ino blinked rapidly a few times. Kakashi visibly sagged while Shino looked away. Neji gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

"So what, you are going to _give up_ on Hizashi before giving him a chance?" Neji questioned.

Naruto's eyes widened and his lips parted. Ino gasped while Shikamaru stiffened. Kakashi winced and Shino, even Shino gaped.

"You asshole," Naruto said with a growl.

"This is _my son_ , _my daughter, and my nephew_ being affected by your decision, Naruto. They will be forced to stop training because _you are giving up,_ " Neji said.

Naruto smacked his desk again and Neji saw the boiling chakra filter around Naruto's frame. Neji did not care. Hizashi had more than proven himself in the Academy, in training, and in every other way. There _were_ no other genin to take Hizashi's place on Team Lee.

It meant both Metal and Hatomi would be forced to wait for next year's graduating class before even considering going any further. Then they would have to train with a new person and it would be _years_ before they would be able to even think about the chunin exams.

Neji _refused_ to let it happen.

"Well?" Neji questioned.

Naruto let out a long breath and Kumara's chakra dissipated. Naruto ran his hand through his hair again and kept glaring at Neji. Naruto leaned forward on his desk but Neji did not flinch.

"Fine, Hizashi can keep being an active shinobi. But every mission he goes on will be scrutinized to make sure his vision issues aren't screwing things up," Naruto said.

Neji caught the hitai-ate, Hizashi's hitai-ate, when Naruto threw it at him. It took Neji a moment to deactivate his Byakugan but his world jumped back into color.

"Thank you," Neji said and bowed.

Naruto snorted but Neji turned on his heel and left the same way he had come in. Neji let out a long breath when he reached street level and stopped for a moment, staring at Hizashi's hitai-ate in his hand. To Hell with fate. He would make sure his son had a fighting chance.

* * *

Hizashi stared out at the dimming sky. Mom, Hatomi, Shi, and Shun had gone inside: Shi and Shun to play video games, mom to put leftovers away, and Hatomi to read. Hizashi didn't want to go inside yet where his family pretended to do normal stuff so they wouldn't talk about how dad had walked off.

Dad had gone to see Naruto-sama. Anyone would have picked up on it without much thought. Hizashi didn't know what dad could say to Naruto-sama to change his mind but if anyone could do it, it was dad.

Hizashi heard the sliding door open but didn't turn to see who had come out to see him. He could tell anyway because of the chakra. Shun's chakra was undeveloped, Shi's felt like a cool breeze while Hatomi's was like the calm before a storm. Mom's was bright, sunny, and made Hizashi feel warm. Dad's felt like a beacon, kind of like mom's but cool.

Hizashi tilted his head as dad came to stand beside him in the middle of the lawn. Dad said nothing when he stood in front of Hizashi and Hizashi blinked when dad's hands came up. Hizashi stayed still as dad tied the hitai-ate in place. Hizashi gaped.

"How did?" Hizashi asked.

Dad smiled, lightly, placing a hand on Hizashi's shoulder.

"It is of no concern," dad replied.

Hizashi hugged him and dad hummed, happily returning the hug. Dad had made sure Hizashi could be a shinobi and could create his fate. Hizashi didn't know what to say. Thank you wasn't enough.

"Thank you," Hizashi said anyway.

Dad hummed again, holding him close. They parted after a moment and strode inside where Hizashi almost fell over because Hatomi barrelled into him for a brief hug. Shun stayed longer than Shi and mom snuggled him for what felt like hours. Hizashi didn't mind, not totally, and thanked everyone before relaxing on the couch for some family time.

He didn't go to bed until almost eleven but mom and dad didn't mind. Tomorrow was Sunday after all and even Lee-sensei took Sundays off on his wife's insistence. Hizashi took off his hitai-ate and held it in his hands for several moments.

He had almost lost the ability to be a shinobi because of his friends finding out about his weakness. At least Metal knew now and Lee-sensei. They wouldn't ask him to go out looking for eatable food or to do anything which required him to see color without Byakugan activated. Now all he had to do was see if the rest of his friends still wanted to talk to him.

* * *

It hadn't taken him long to find Boruto, Shikadai, Inojin, and Mitsuki. Hizashi's friends from when they were all born were in the park talking about something or another. Hizashi took a breath, let it out slowly and walked with Metal towards the other four guys.

Boruto sensed him first, visually anyway. Hizashi had a feeling Shikadai knew he and Metal were coming even with his eyes closed and looking like he was asleep. The Nara Clan were notorious for looking and acting like lazy asses when they were actually exceptionally talented strategists and sensory shinobi.

Mitsuki looked up at them second and a scowl came to his face. Inojin frowned as well but Hizashi tried not to let it get to him. He stopped a comfortable distance from his lounging friends but kept his body relaxed, hands hanging lose at his sides.

"So," Hizashi said.

"What?" Boruto asked.

"I'm not allowed to hang out with you guys anymore because I beat up Mitsuki?" Hizashi questioned right back.

Boruto shrugged. Mitsuki glared at him while Inojin said nothing and Shikadai pretended to sleep.

"It explains a lot, the fact you can't see color I mean," Boruto said. "You never had a favorite color, you went through a phase where you really wore some strange things, sometimes you couldn't find a toy when it was right in front of you, and Hatomi always interrupting when it came to answering questions about color. We should've figured something was wrong sooner."

Hizashi frowned. He tried not to run a hand through his hair or fiddle with the pockets of his shorts or his fingers but it was hard.

"Troublesome. He's still Hizashi and really, he had every right to beat up Mitsuki for the reject comment. I only stopped Hizashi cuz it woulda been too troublesome to deal with the consequences," Shikadai said.

Hizashi kept the smile off his face but Inojin chuckled. Boruto rolled his eyes and Mitsuki scowled.

"Would help if you apologized," Boruto muttered.

"I could say the same for Mitsuki," Hizashi said.

"You want _me_ to apologize to _you_?" Mitsuki questioned.

"You called me a reject Hyuuga," Hizashi said.

Mitsuki huffed, crossed his arms over his chest, and glared up at Hizashi from his seated position.

"Technically you are," Mitsuki said.

Everyone tensed but Hizashi frowned before shrugging. He kicked at the grass in front of his feet and brushed some of his shorter hair out of his face.

"Whatever, but I'm not hanging out with someone who thinks I'm a reject. Come on Metal, let's go," Hizashi said.

Hizashi turned on his heel and walked away. Metal followed without another prompting. Hizashi waited until he was ten yards away before activating his Byakugan. He stopped with a smile when he spotted Shikadai coming towards him. Inojin bit his lip, looking at the scowling Boruto and Mitsuki then watching Shikadai walking away. Shikadai caught up and Hizashi deactivated Byakugan.

"It must suck to do that," Shikadai said.

Hizashi sighed but nodded.

"You have no idea," Hizashi said.

"Troublesome,"

Hizashi smiled but led the way out of the park and to one of Shikadai's favorite cloud watching spots. Metal started "lightly" training while Hizashi settled beside Shikadai who stretched out in the grass, ankles crossing and head pillowed in his arms.

"Inojin will come find us," Shikadai said after a few moments.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah,"

Hizashi hummed.

"I didn't mean to break up the group," Hizashi said.

"Not your fault. Mitsuki's messed up and Boruto's a jerk,"

Shikadai didn't open his eyes but Hizashi knew the Nara would somehow know Hizashi smirked just as he knew what number of handstand push-ups Metal was on. They said no more and Hizashi hated to admit how he _liked_ when it was him, Metal, and Shikadai. Maybe he was more like dad than everyone thought.

Hizashi closed his eyes and let out a breath. A cool breeze blew around him and he listened to the grass being shifted, Metal's panting breaths, and the birds in the distance. He concentrated for half a second and the world outside of his closed eyelids burst into color.

Bright green grass, luminous blue sky, and brown wood of the tree bark in the distance with most of their leaves turning to brown and falling to the ground. The orange of Metal's scarf and legwarmers was brilliant and the yellow sun in the sky was dazzling. Hizashi didn't time how long he sat meditating with Byakugan activated by after a long while he spotted Inojin coming towards them.

Sunlight reflected off the vivid blond hair and vibrant blue eyes, making Inojin's skin appear somehow paler. Inojin sat without a word, beside Hizashi then took out a sketchpad and pastels before beginning to draw.

Hizashi watched him, Byakugan activated, as Inojin laid down radiant red, rich purple, and blazing blue in a random seeming pattern. The image, an abstract, took shape under Hizashi's eyes. Colors blended then flared out in full brightness. Swirls became apparent as did spirals and other designs. When Inojin finished, it was a masterpiece of color Hizashi would no longer see once he deactivated his Byakugan.

"Sorry," Inojin said.

Hizashi opened his eyes. Inojin sighed and put the bright picture to a side.

"Huh?" Hizashi asked.

"You activated your Byakugan," Inojin said.

Oh. He had lost concentration in watching Inojin make the picture and fully activated his dojutsu. Oops.

"It's okay. I do that from time to time to, well, see," Hizashi said.

Inojin hummed. Hizashi saw Metal had sprawled on the grass in front of them but he had his head tilted towards them. Shikadai hadn't moved an inch but he had his listening face on. Hizashi watched as Inojin pulled a black hunk of pastel out of his case.

"You know, grays can be pretty too," Inojin said.

Hizashi watched as Inojin carefully began marking the page with the black pastel. After a while, swirls and spirals began to form, much like the other abstract but in shades of gray instead of tri-colored. When Inojin was finished, the all gray, black, and white abstract looked as good, if not better than the colored one. Inojin grinned.

"See?" Inojin said.

Hizashi nodded, not trusting his voice. He deactivated Byakugan. The colored abstract blurred weirdly now but the gray one, it still looked as good. Hizashi still had no words when Inojin carefully put the image into a plastic sleeve to preserve it then handed it to Hizashi.

"Thanks," Hizashi said.

"No problem. Working without color is a challenge, a good challenge," Inojin said.

Hizashi grinned. His true friends had accepted him. That was all he needed.

* * *

Hatomi sat on the edge of the rooftop but kept her eyes trained on the sky. Her feet hung over the roof and she kicked her legs softly, hands keeping her on the roof as she watched birds fly well overhead. The autumn breeze tickled her loose hair around her head but not unpleasantly so. The navy blue jacket she wore over her black tights and white frilly shirt kept her from being too cold.

The world was in black and white with varying shades of gray as she watched Boruto and Mitsuki play video games _without_ Shikadai, Inojin, Metal, and Hizashi. Apparently Boruto and Mitsuki were not accepting of her brother. Hatomi did not mind.

There was something off about Mitsuki and Boruto could be a jerk more oft than not. Boruto hated his father, disrespected his mother, and was annoyed at Himawari. Hatomi had no idea how someone raised in a good family could be so horrible.

Boruto had both his parents unlike Sarada and Sarada turned out better than him. True, Naruto-sama was rarely home but he was the Hokage. He had a village to run and Boruto should be more proud of his father, not bitter the man did not pay attention to him.

Hatomi wondered what she would do if father had been more like Sasuke or now Naruto. If Sasuke she would pretend she had no father. If like Naruto, well, yes she would be upset father could never be home but it would be father's _job_ to protect everyone, not just her. Besides, he would be home often enough she could get a hug out of him.

She preferred the fact father had not become Hokage.

It meant she could train with him nightly, learning the Hyuuga clan techniques from the best Hyuuga in the clan. She could speak with him in their language, hug him, eat his cooking, and watch him smile so lovingly at mother. Hatomi smiled softly.

Love.

Mother and father had it, truly. They rarely argued and when they did it was more heated discussion that worked to a compromise which left both parties happy. Even during their heated discussions they never yelled. They touched when they could, softly, and laughed with each other. They comforted the other, snuggled together, and knew what to do before the other asked. They looked to each other with such pure _joy_ Hatomi could not imagine what would have happened had father died in the war.

She, Hizashi, Shi, and Shun would not be alive for one. Mother would be living alone in her old apartment watching as her friends got married and had children while all she had were her weapons. Hatomi let out a breath and frowned. She would have to find a way to thank Sakura-sama.

No one put much thought into Sarada's mother when it came to the war but without her there would have been so many more dead and many children never born. But people rarely paid attention to mother's part in the war despite the fact she had wielded Bashosen and helped to seal many, many people.

Ino-sama's part was downplayed as well even though she had transferred everyone's thoughts. Hinata-obasan had a few paragraphs even though she had got Naruto-sama to keep fighting after father had been impaled.

Movement.

Hatomi focused outwards and spotted Boruto and Mitsuki leaving the game shop. They were headed away from her, three hundred meters out, but she kept to her place until they were another fifty meters away.

She matched their pace but high above. The boys did not sense her from so far back nor did they look behind. No one noticed her as she skipped along the roofs and if they did they would think she trained.

The boys settled at a sweet shop, ordered dango, and sat outside. Hatomi settled on the edge of the roof and refocused her Byakugan to catch the movement of the boys' lips.

"Dumb Shikadai and Inojin," Boruto said.

"It's not my fault Hizashi is a reject Hyuuga," Mitsuki said, scowling.

Boruto frowned. Hatomi snarled. Hizashi, her twin, was most certainly _not_ a reject in any way.

"Okay, I do get what he's saying, you know. I mean he's still a good shinobi," Boruto said.

"He didn't have to almost kill me,"

"I know,"

Hatomi huffed. Mitsuki did not have to open his large mouth either.

"We won't have to hear Metal's yelling about Youth anymore," Mitsuki said.

Boruto laughed. Hatomi scowled. Metal could be overzealous but he had a kind heart and unwavering determination. Metal was also a cousin to them in a sense, more so than Boruto who was actual blood relation ever could be.

"Or listen to Inojin talk about penises or say weird stuff," Mitsuki said.

Boruto kept snickering. Hatomi was glad Hizashi had gotten away from these two. Family functions might become awkward. At least they did not have to go to the Hyuuga Compound more than once a year.

"Or deal with Shikadai saying how everything is so troublesome," Mitsuki went on.

Boruto nodded in agreement. Hatomi hoped Sarada and Chocho did not talk about _her_ like this behind her back. No. Sarada and Chocho were not stupid like Boruto and Mitsuki.

"Or deal with Hizashi in general," Mitsuki said.

Boruto chuckled. Hatomi stiffened.

"He's so arrogant," Mitsuki said.

As if Boruto did not have the same trait. If anyone was arrogant in the family it was her and likely father. Hizashi did not have a bragging bone in his body.

"And who's always that happy?"

Hatomi _liked_ the fact Hizashi smiled a lot, either softly or broadly like mother. Hizashi's chakra was bright, warm, and comforting like mother's chakra. Father's was cool, soothing, but came with rigidness. Shun's was unused so came with no distinct feeling while Shi's chakra tended to mimic father's in a lot of ways. She assumed hers copied father's as well.

"Not dealing with Hizashi means we don't have to deal with the princess," Mitsuki said.

Hatomi blinked.

"Little Miss Know it All prideful bitch,"

Hatomi glared. Boruto _nodded_.

"I know. I can't believe she's my second cousin," Boruto said.

Hatomi could agree with him on this.

"Too bad she's got such a horrible personality. She's got an awesome body," Mitsuki said.

Boruto snorted. Hatomi scowled and refrained from pulling her jacket tighter around her body to attempt (vainly) to conceal her figure.

"The prettiest ones are the worst personality wise," Boruto said.

"The one's who'll have a lot of one night stands. Maybe someone will rape her so she learns she's not all powerful,"

Hatomi did not see how Boruto reacted to Mitsuki's statement. Instead, she took off, heading towards where Sarada and Chocho would be relaxing at Sarada's home. She found the two girls on the back porch with steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Sakura-sama was with them as well but none of them jolted when Hatomi landed elegantly in the backyard.

Sakura-sama smiled at her before getting to her feet and saying she would be back with another mug of hot chocolate.

"Ah, that is okay," Hatomi said.

"It's no trouble, Hatomi. You three girls gossip for a bit. I'll be back to catch up though," Sakura-sama said.

She was gone before Hatomi could protest. Hatomi frowned and stopped in front of her two friends who sat at the outside patio table. She did not sit even though Sarada patted the seat of the chair near her.

"Am I a know it all prideful bitch?" Hatomi questioned.

Chocho almost dropped her mug in shock. Sarada gaped, eyes widening, and entire body slack. Hatomi did not repeat the question. Chocho and Sarada exchanged a look before giggling.

"Where did you hear that?" Sarada asked.

"Mitsuki and Boruto," Hatomi said. "And saw would be more, ah."

She stopped. Perhaps correcting people was what the duo had meant. Hatomi sighed before taking a seat between the two girls.

"You're a Know it all prideful bitch in the same way your dad is but it's totally cool," Chocho said.

"It is?" Hatomi asked.

Both nodded and Hatomi stared.

"I mean, it's _good_ to be prideful. It means you have a lot of self-confidence and that's important. And yeah, sometimes you can be a bitch but it's only to people who rightfully deserve it like that guy who made fun of Chocho or those guys who kept asking why I would need to wear a bra. You stick up for the people you care about, you know? And if that makes you a bitch then I'm glad you're our bitch," Sarada said.

Hatomi blinked then chuckled. She heard a snort from behind as Sakura-sama came out with a third mug of hot chocolate and set it in front of Hatomi. Hatomi thanked her as Sakura-sama took her original seat.

"See, when a guy sticks up for his friends and corrects people, he's cool or loyal. When a girl does it, she's a bitch. Double standards," Sakura said.

"Hn," Hatomi muttered.

"Hm, but people still think Neji-sama's a jerk, well, um, sometimes," Chocho said.

Sakura-sama giggled.

"He's a lot different than he was twenty years ago. And besides, like Hatomi's he's only a jerk when someone's being mean to someone he cares about. He's a bit cold and aloof but we all know he's a huge softy deep down. Don't worry about what people say about you, Hatomi. Just keep rockin' you," Sakura-sama said.

Hatomi smiled and thanked Sakura-sama again. It was nice to sip hot chocolate with her friends and relax. Tomorrow would be training but Hatomi did not mind. It meant she could be with her brother and _real_ cousin.

* * *

Uh, wow, I got all four of them in there. Yeah, yeah, I've made Boruto and Mitsuki out to be big jerks but judging from what I've seen of Boruto: he is a jerk. Mitsuki, well, he's Orochimaru's kid. I doubt he's going to be any kind of normal.

Do you realize how mind-screwed I was when I had to write "twenty years?" Yeah, they're freaking in their _thirties_. *laughs*

Reviews welcome, more coming soon, I promise.


	21. Friends

**Friends**

 **Author's Note:** So I figure if I'm going anywhere with this then I'll take Hatomi and Hizashi up to chunin at the very least. Technically I could keep going, you know, a whole life story until everyone with a PoV dies but considering two of those are kids...yeah.

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

It'd been way too long since she could chill with her friends and not worry about her kids or over-working Neji. Okay, so maybe her kids had always been mainly independent and having three years between one set of twins and the other helped a lot. And sure, she had spent the other day with the other mothers of the new generation for tea but they didn't normally get a _night_ to themselves.

Nights were usually reserved to making sure their kids were entertained until school the next day or spending time with their men. Then there was cleaning the house, doing laundry, making lunches, and the variety of tasks Tenten had never thought she wouldn't mind doing. The fact Neji helped probably made it easier to accept she had kind of become a housewife.

She was a housewife who could cut up vegetables for dinner in under a minute though and toss her knives back to the block with pinpoint accuracy. Screw normalcy.

"Is bad to enjoy a night away?" Sakura questioned.

"Nope," Tenten said.

"I don't think so," Temari replied.

"Not at all," Ino agreed.

"Maybe," Hinata said with a flush.

Yusa couldn't attend as she had gone back to the daimyo's city to visit her mother for a week. Karui had travelled back to the Lightning Country to visit with friends and family for a month. Tenten found it weird to be back down to the original group of kunoichi she had become a shinobi with.

"Ah, Hinata, it's fine," Temari said.

"Yeah, Boruto's old enough to take of Himawari. And Himawari's almost a genin now too," Sakura said.

Hinata nodded but had a pout on her face. Tenten totally understood Hinata's reluctance in letting her kids go. Hizashi and Hatomi were twelve now, Shun and Shi were nine. Old enough to be left on their own (permanently if needed) but young enough she still wanted to protect them like they didn't know how to kick ass.

"Boruto's more snappish than usual," Hinata said.

Tenten was glad she wasn't timid enough to let her child somewhat push her around. Oh Hinata could still punish her kids when she needed to but she hardly raised her voice over normal speaking volume and her "listen to me or die" tone needed work. As it was, Boruto had a habit of not listening to her. And with Naruto mostly out of the house, well, Tenten hoped Boruto got some respect beaten into his butt.

"Probably something to do with the fact Shikadai and Inojin want nothing to do with Mitsuki until Mitsuki apologizes to Hizashi," Temari said.

"Eh, sorry," Tenten muttered.

She hadn't wished for her son to break up the group dynamics of the boys because of something Hizashi couldn't help. Tenten sipped on her fruity cocktail, first one of the night and definitely not the last.

"Hey, not your fault Mitsuki couldn't keep his big mouth shut and didn't want to apologize for a rude remark," Ino said.

Hinata nodded which made Tenten feel a bit better. Still. The boys had been together since birth (all but Mitsuki) and Tenten felt horrible that Boruto was stuck with Orochimaru's son. How Orochimaru _had_ a son was something Tenten didn't want to linger on.

Considering Orochimaru's past...

Nope, she needed a few more drinks in her before even _thinking_ about Orochimaru's past with experiments and the like. Tenten took a bigger sip from her cocktail but the other women didn't notice.

"Boruto's hit the age where he wants to rebel against everything," Hinata said. "Even if it is common sense Mitsuki should apologize to Hizashi which will make Hizashi apologize to Mitsuki."

Tenten patted Hinata's shoulder when Hinata sighed and chugged her cocktail. Temari raised her hand so the waiter would come over with another.

"How did you do it with _four?_ " Hinata asked.

"I ask myself that every day," Tenten replied.

This made everyone laugh. The waiter smiled at Temari's request for another round for them all and Tenten shook her head with a smile. Neji wouldn't mind her getting plastered tonight. He might make fun of her in the morning though.

"Seriously though," Ino said. "One is bad enough but you're outnumbered."

Tenten shrugged.

"Blame Guy-sensei. He always challenged me and Neji to take on more than we could handle and here we are. Sometimes it's not so bad but other times I want to curse my ovaries in deciding "hey, _two at a time_ would be really cool, you know?" Then there's the whole damning Neji's genes with twins and all and damning my genes for twins and yeah," Tenten said.

Tenten smiled when she got more laugher from the group. The waiter came back with their drinks and she took hers. Now she wouldn't have to worry about waiting after finishing her first one.

"And somehow, they're all well-behaved," Sakura said.

"Hyuuga genes," Tenten said.

"Boruto may have missed those and gotten Naruto's instead. At least he will grow into his being more like his father," Hinata said.

Temari snorted and shook her head.

"My kid isn't so bad, just damned lazy. Bad enough I had to make Shikamaru clean up after himself now I have to do it all over again with Shikadai. Do you _know_ how long you have to wait in doing chores before a Nara will give up and start cleaning?"

They all shuddered. Temari had trained Shikamaru to clean by leaving the messes he left. The house had been a disaster for three months before Shikamaru finally gave in. Temari still had to smack him around to get him to help in cleaning up. Tenten would thank Neji later for innately helping her.

"Sarada can be really sweet but she's starting to go into the preteen bitchiness phase," Sakura said.

"Sarada's got nothing on Hatomi," Tenten mentioned.

Tenten huffed when her friends laughed at her.

"Sorry, sorry, but you're right you know," Ino said. "She's like her dad but _female_. You're going to have your hands tied with that one."

Technically Neji got his hands tied but Tenten decided not to mention it. Her friends still had no idea how kinky she and Neji were. Most of Konoha still didn't admit to sneaking into RLM or Helen's at night or in a disguise of some sort.

"Inojin's weird like his dad though," Ino muttered.

"That's what you get from Sai raising him," Temari said with a smirk.

"Like Inojin wanted to be with me in Yamanaka Flowers all the time. My son stupidly has a pollen allergy. If that's not Kami messing with me I don't know what is," Ino said.

Tenten couldn't help but laugh at Ino. At least Ino could understand her and Neji's plight with Hizashi and Shun. Ino always had understood.

"Who the Hell am I suppose to pass the shop to? I don't have any other kids and most of my cousins have never been in Konoha," Ino continued.

"Your grandbaby when Inojin has them with Hatomi," Temari said.

Tenten almost choked on her cocktail. Ino high-fived Temari who winked.

"What, you don't want her for Shikadai?" Ino asked.

Temari shook her head as Tenten got air back into her lungs instead of strawberry daiquiri.

"I don't think Shikadai would last one month dating Hatomi, no offense Tenten," Temari said.

Tenten sputtered. She still couldn't get words out.

"But you know, Shikadai will probably _like_ a bossy, blunt woman considering who Shikamaru married and Yoshino," Sakura said.

Tenten started laughing when Temari huffed. Ino clapped in delight.

"Nara-Hyuuga! Oh my Kami, can you even _try_ to imagine a lazy Hyuuga? Like, Shikadai's personality, but Hatomi's pretty hair, with the Byakugan and shadow-jutsu?" Ino asked between giggles.

"And we have to throw in the potential of Tenten's aim," Sakura said with a smile.

"Yes," Ino exclaimed before falling into fresh peals of laughter.

Temari smirked.

"Hizashi and Sarada," Temari said.

Sakura spat her drink across the table. Tenten scowled. No way would her son help keep the Uchiha line going. Not that Hizashi was too good for Sarada because Sarada was a great girl but she was also the daughter of Sasuke who Tenten hated. Neji would _flip_ if Hizashi started seeing Sarada.

"Tenten apparently doesn't agree," Ino said.

"Sorry," Tenten muttered.

Sakura frowned. Tenten shrugged but said nothing. This cued an awkward silence in which they all fiddled with the straws in their drinks and pretended the table held the meaning to life.

"So, ah, Inojin may have found my vibrating dildo the other day," Ino said.

Tenten laughed. Ino always had a hell of a way to break an awkward silence.

"How? Why? What did he say?" Temari questioned rapidly.

"Sai's on a mission and I was horny so used it. I kind of put it aside to clean up later and forgot about it then asked Inojin to go grab my laundry basket for me. He had used one of my dirty shirts to pick it up then asked if his dad was as big or if they should be worried," Ino described.

Tenten chuckled along with the others as Ino shook her head, fiddling with her straw as she did. Ino had a smile on her face though.

"I told him his dad liked it too which made him faint. Funny as Hell when he came to. I don't think he's quite forgiven me yet," Ino said.

"And you wonder why your son is messed up," Sakura said.

"Hey, at least he's not sheltered like Sarada," Ino shot back.

Sakura flushed.

"So what if I told Sarada my vibrator was a neck massager? She's too young to learn about adult toys," Sakura said.

Tenten rolled her eyes. Their kids were too young to learn about adult toys but were technically allowed to go on missions to hurt people and were considered adults in some countries because of their genin status.

"Boruto did mention the boys had walked into a "disgusting" store the other day. The same day they found out Hizashi could not see color," Hinata said.

"Yeah, Inojin mentioned RLM before Hizashi's issue with color. My kid has weird priorities," Ino said.

"Shikadai literally said: "we walked into a sex shop accidently and found out Hizashi's color blind" when I asked him what he did that day. Shikamaru nearly crapped himself," Temari said.

Tenten blinked. Hizashi _hadn't_ said a word about RLM _._ Then again Hizashi had other things on his mind what with his color blindness being revealed and all. Now that two weeks had passed Hizashi had either forgotten about walking into RLM (unlikely) or didn't want to bring up something so old when he might get in trouble (exceptionally likely). Tenten wouldn't mind Hizashi's curiosity, especially since he _had_ read a book about it but knowing about it would be nice.

"Wow," Sakura said to Temari.

"I know, little brat," Temari said.

She had a smile on her face. Tenten understood completely how possible it was to be annoyed at your kid and still love them. They all did and Tenten grinned.

"Boruto went on a rant about how gross it was," Hinata said.

"Inojin wanted to look around," Ino said with a roll of her eyes.

"Shikadai didn't even care, really," Temari said.

They all looked to her expectantly. Tenten shrugged.

"Hizashi didn't mention RLM but he had other things on his mind so I don't blame him," Tenten said.

"Right," Sakura said with a nod.

"I don't blame the kid, really," Temari said. "Finding out everyone knows about something you didn't want them to know kind of takes priority over walking into a place you're not supposed to go for at least four years."

Tenten nodded and they moved onto other conversations. Somehow their kids were always involved and Tenten smiled. Gone were the days when they would talk about boys (they had been replaced by husbands) and missions (there weren't enough now). Now their lives revolved around their kids. Tenten didn't mind. Training her kids to be kick-ass shinobi was totally worth it.

* * *

Someone was laughing outside, _loudly_. Neji raised an eyebrow but did not lift his eyes from the book he read by the lamp light. The clock on the wall read three-thirty five which let him know it had been seven and a half hours since Tenten had gone out with the others.

Neji had decided to wait up for her since Tenten tended to forget how locks worked when she had a few too many drinks. Then she would either pound on the door calling his name with a slur or knock the door down with one of her massive weapons. Neji did not feel like replacing the door or the front of their whole house in the afternoon.

The laughter drew closer and Neji recognized it as a mix of Tenten's and Sakura's. It meant the two had walked Ino, Temari, and Hinata-sama home before making their way back here. Unfortunately, Sakura's house was located in an entirely different area. She could take the couch.

Neji flipped down the corner of the page he was on before shutting his book and placing it on the living room table. He walked to the door and smirked when he heard Tenten hushing Sakura so they didn't wake up the kids.

Neji opened the door and had to catch Tenten who had leaned on the opposite side to play with the handle. She smelled strongly of liquor and her cheeks had gone pink. Her eyes were wide as were her moist lips. Sakura started giggling again.

"Why are you up?" Tenten whispered.

She did not seem to realize the volume of her voice as she spoke in almost normal talking tones. Neji righted her but she kept an arm wrapped around his waist and put her head on his shoulder. He held her around the waist with both arms.

"You tend to forget the concept of locks when you get a little tipsy," Neji told her.

"Hey, I understand locks. I've picked the best of them," Tenten said.

"Yes you have," Neji said.

She grinned and gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"I told you he's the best," Tenten said to Sakura.

This made Sakura burst into snickers and almost fall to the ground from laughing too hard. Neji grabbed her wrist in one hand and sighed when she fell against his other side and wrapped her arms around his upper body.

"Hey, he's mine," Tenten said.

"I know but the world is all spinny," Sakura said.

Tenten chuckled then pointed to Sakura with her free hand. Apparently Tenten lost depth perception when this drunk. She ended up poking Sakura on the Strength of a Hundred Seal in the middle of Sakura's forehead. Tenten still had perfect aim. Neji would remember this.

"You're drunk," Tenten said.

"So are you," Sakura said.

"Am not,"

"Are too,"

"Am not,"

"Are too,"

"Ladies, please, the kids are sleeping," Neji said.

They had been starting to raise their voices and if it had escalated too far, might have started fighting. Both giggled. Neji pushed the door closed with his foot before half-dragging both women towards the sitting room. Sakura kept snickering when Neji dropped her on the couch. An instant later and Miruku jumped onto the couch to inspect the new person.

"Oh, hi kitty! Snuggly kitty," Sakura said.

Miruku squeaked in protest when Sakura snuggled her close. Sakura's eyes closed with the hug and two seconds later, she started snoring. Neji scoffed then pulled Tenten into their bedroom. Tenten started chuckling when Neji tossed her onto the bed. He turned to get Sakura a blanket then almost fell over when a senbon needle implanted into the door frame awfully close to his ear.

Tenten had _excellent_ aim when she was drunk.

Neji turned and raised an eyebrow at her. Tenten had sat up on the bed and had a pout on her face. Her hair had been braided over one shoulder but was messy. She had donned a little black dress for the evening out and it was hiked up scandalously around her upper thighs. The dress had no straps and had also sunk a bit _low_ in the front. Neji licked his lips as he started to get hard.

"Where ya goin'?" Tenten asked.

"To get Sakura a blanket," Neji replied.

"Oh, okay, I'll allow that," Tenten said.

Neji shook his head at her before leaving the room and heading for the laundry room. All their extra blankets, pillows, and other such linens were stored in the laundry room while the closet between the boys' two rooms housed cleaning supplies.

Neji found a blanket and shut the laundry room door. He locked the front door then flipped open the blanket to cover Sakura. Miruku looked up at him pitifully from Sakura's grip but Neji shrugged at the cat before tucking the blanket in around Sakura and Miruku. He shut off the light before leaving the living room and heading back into his room.

He blinked.

Tenten had taken off her dress and bra. She sat on the edge of the bed, leaning back a bit on her hands with her legs spread to him and a smile on her face. She had also turned on a lamp so the light glowed over her toned body and perky breasts. Neji gulped.

Hizashi would be up in about five minutes to use the en suite. Neji could not, as much as he wanted to, lock his son out of the room so Neji and Tenten could have some alone time. Tenten started rubbing her clit through her tiny blank panties.

"Hizashi," Neji said.

"Yeah I know, he didn't say anything about walking into RLM accidently but he had other stuff in his head from everyone finding out he can't see color," Tenten said.

Neji blinked. It was not what he had meant but now he wanted to stop Hizashi before his son went to shower this morning. Hizashi would have walked into RLM after reading a bit of the book so _knew_ some of the toys RLM sold.

"Aren't you going to fuck me?" Tenten asked.

"I meant Hizashi will be coming into the room to use the en suite in five minutes, possibly less," Neji said.

He glanced at the clock on the night side table: 3:42. He had five minutes maximum to at least get Tenten under the covers. He heard a door open, Hatomi's, but she went straight to the main bathroom and shut the door with a light thud.

"Aw, lock him out," Tenten said with a pout.

"No," Neji told her.

She gasped then shook her head at him.

"Disobeying your Mistress. I should really spank you for that," Tenten said.

Neji felt his cock twitch and heat come to his cheeks. He licked his lips and tried not to think of Tenten spanking him. Hell, his ass had started tingling with anticipation. Normally this would not be a horrible concept but Hizashi would walk into the room to find his mother half naked, drunk, and propositioning his father for kinky sex.

"You may spank me all you want after our son is _out_ of the shower," Neji said.

"Aw but that won't be for at _least_ twenty minutes," Tenten whined.

Neji rubbed his forehead. He hadn't even slept yet but he knew he would have to be up at seven to get Shun out of bed and off to school. Hopefully Sakura would stay passed out during the making of breakfast and feeding of children.

"I will play with you if you get under the covers right now," Neji said.

Tenten grinned. He glanced at the clock. 3:44. Damn it.

"Play with me how?" Tenten questioned.

This was not the time for her to want him to talk dirty. He did not mind under normal circumstances. In fact, he enjoyed it sometimes. Hell, she loved it.

"Tenten, please," Neji tried.

She shook her head, giggling. Her hand kept rubbing on her clit. He could not see the damp spot because of the darkness of her panties but he could _hear_ the moisture between her legs. He wanted to rip off her panties and bury his face between her thighs but...

He heard Hizashi's alarm go off. Thirty seconds later it was silenced. It would take Hizashi two minutes to roll out of bed and grab his toiletry bag. Two minutes after that, probably less, Hizashi would be walking into the room. Damn it.

"I could spend hours between your legs," Neji said.

He pushed the door shut (it would give them _some_ precious seconds) before heading towards the bed. Tenten bit her lip and her hand slowed in its ministrations.

"Sucking," Neji said.

He shifted to knee in front of her, placing his hands on her knees and looking up at her through his lashes. Tenten had started panting slightly, eyes wide, and moved so she sat up fully.

"Licking," Neji said.

She kept nibbling on her lip as Neji ran his hands up from her knees to her inner thighs. 3:47. Hizashi's door opened. Shit.

"Teasing," Neji went on.

Footsteps were coming down the hallway, soft but loud enough he could pick them up over the faint sound of the shower starting in the main bathroom.

"Lapping at you," Neji said.

He pushed Tenten properly onto the bed, shifting her so her head hit the pillows and pulling the blankets from his side of the bed over both of them. The door knob turned.

"After Hizashi's in the shower," Neji whispered into her ear.

Tenten trembled but nodded, a coy grin coming to her face as she tugged the blankets from her side of the bed over them, wrapping them in a cocoon on top of the blankets instead of under them. The door opened to reveal their yawning son.

Neji let out a breath but said nothing when Hizashi cracked open one eye. Hizashi saw them lying in bed looking at him with a lamp on and opened his eyes. Neji kept his mouth shut as Tenten started giggling. Hizashi went bright red then ran to the bathroom with the mantra of whispered "sorry, I'm not looking, I don't care, please don't even tell me" as he moved. The door to the en suite thunked closed and Neji let out a breath.

Silence for a moment then Tenten raised her eyebrow at him. Neji blinked.

"Well?" She asked.

Neji snorted but knew they had at least fifteen minutes. He kissed both her cheeks then along her jaw line before continuing down. Tenten ran her hands through his hair as Neji left a path of kisses, little licks, and soft bites from her collarbone down to her navel where he lingered.

He dipped his tongue into her navel and Tenten clenched her fingers in his hair. Neji bit on the skin of her belly button and she gasped as she began massaging his scalp. Neji half closed his eyes as heat spread to his groin, making his cock twitch. He kept delving his tongue into her belly button, nibbling at her flesh, until she started pushing his head down.

He could not linger but Neji knew Tenten was not listening for when the shower shut off in their en suite. She was too drunk to care and would not consider her actions for at least nine or more hours. Neji pulled off her panties, tossing them towards the window so Hizashi would be spared from the sight. Neji shifted downwards to plant a kiss on her mound and she spread her legs wider for him to be comfortable.

Neji kissed her lower lips in thanks before pushing his tongue between her folds. She dug her fingers into his scalp, pulling his hair at the roots gently and he shivered in pleasure. His right hand roamed down his leg to push under his formerly loose jogging pants to grab at his begging length.

Neji used his left hand to run feather-light touches against her inner thigh as he kept lapping at her insides. His nudged her clit with his nose and she arched into him, gasping loud. Neji kept his smirk back as he kept licking, nosing her, and began running his hand over his aching wet length.

He glanced at the clock. Ten more minutes at least. Neji closed his eyes, listening as the water of the shower ran and Tenten moaned softly. He kept pumping his cock in one hand, sucking and licking at Tenten's lower lips as she groaned above him.

Her hands kept tugging gently at his hair or rubbing his scalp. Neji felt his body shivering but didn't bother to do anything about it. He drew patterns on her inner thigh, lightly, and her legs closed slightly in pleasure as he shifted to lick and suck on her clit. The little nub of flesh was hard between his lips and she tasted of heaven, hot and dripping on his tongue.

Neji kept pleasuring her, stroking his cock as he did, and she thrust her hips up into him. Neji didn't mind the slightest but did keep listening for the shower. Tenten let out a strangled moan and Neji tasted more on his tongue as she shuddered against him. Neji pumped his cock harder as he kept licking her folds as she came down from her orgasm. He came hard a moment later, holding back his shout and continuing to fist his cock.

Neji opened eyes he did not remember closing when Tenten snored. He lifted his head out from between her legs and grinned to see she had fallen asleep. Neji shifted out of bed, rolled her under the covers then got under with her as the shower in the en suite turned off. Neji turned off the lamp before pulling Tenten into his arms. A few hours of sleep would be perfect.

* * *

Hatomi was certain she had woken up this morning. She had run into the bathroom, brushed her hair, showered, dried off and let her hair air dry while she brushed her teeth, then blow dried her hair on cool before finally styling it then dressing. Now she stood in the hallway between the kitchen and living room staring at the sleeping lump of Sakura-sama on the couch covered by a blue blanket.

Miruku looked at her from under the blanket, blue eye wide in a sort of "help me" expression. Miruku squeaked pitifully, clutched tightly in Sakura-sama's grip. Hatomi shook her head and turned into the kitchen to see Hizashi slowly moving pots, pans, and other cooking utensils into place so he could start cooking.

"Hizashi," Hatomi said.

He jolted and a pan slipped from his grasp. Hizashi grabbed it by the handle before it clattered to the floor then gave her an exasperated look. Hatomi snorted before walking over to the stove and crossing her arms under her bust.

"Do you know why Sakura-sama is asleep on the couch?" Hatomi questioned.

Hizashi shook his head and Hatomi noticed he was blushing. Hatomi let out a breath. The sun was not up yet and it was too damned early for her to deal with whatever happened this morning. The shower had wakened her up but her mind would not fully come online until she started running laps.

"Do I want to know why you are blushing?" Hatomi asked.

"Probably not but I kind of caught mom and dad about to, er, you know," Hizashi said.

Hatomi blinked. Hizashi had walked in on mother and father about to have sex. Why in the world they would be awake at close to four in the morning to have sex was beyond her and did not make sense with why or what Sakura-sama slept on the couch.

"I think they still did something cuz when I came out of the shower the lamp was off and they were sleeping," Hizashi said.

Hatomi shook her head again and began to gather supplies to make breakfast. Soon they were lost in cooking breakfast to fill their bellies then their parents and brothers' bellies. Hatomi made sure they had enough to feed Sakura-sama and kept glancing back to look at the sleeping woman.

Miruku kept trying to struggle away but apparently Sakura-sama had too good of a grip on the dwarf cat. Hatomi winced when Hizashi dropped a spoon with a clatter. They both stared at Sakura-sama who offered a snore in response.

"She's usually not that heavy of a sleeper, is she?" Hizashi questioned.

"I do not know," Hatomi muttered.

She went back to cooking then together they got their plates together and packed up the rest for the family later. They ate quietly, sneaking glances at Sakura-sama as she slept on and Miruku as the poor cat tried to wiggle free. Miruku was moment from being free when Sakura-sama whined and tugged her close. Hatomi had never seen a cat look so frustrated.

"Wasn't mom going out with the other moms last night?" Hizashi questioned.

Why would this...ah. Apparently going out meant drinking adult beverages which would mean Sakura-sama had a few too many and slept it off on their couch. Hatomi nodded.

"So, Sakura-sama got drunk?" Hizashi asked.

She nodded again. Hizashi sighed and poked at the remains of his breakfast.

"So that means mom got drunk and was er," Hizashi said then stopped with a blush.

"Propositioning father for sex," Hatomi said.

Hizashi made a choking sound then went beat red. He whacked his head off the table with a groan and Hatomi raised an eyebrow at him. When he came back up for air he stared at her.

"Doesn't it bother you to think of our parents, you know, doing it?" Hizashi questioned.

She shrugged. She had always assumed her brother would be more mature about this. She had gotten over it quickly enough.

"How do you think we were born?" Hatomi enquired.

Hizashi whacked his head off the table again with a moan. He rubbed his forehead when he sat up this time and huffed.

"I _get_ that. But I kind of hoped they, you know, didn't do it anymore," Hizashi said.

Hatomi rolled her eyes at him.

"A healthy sex life is a part of any successful and long relationship," Hatomi told him.

"How do you know?"

"It was in the book you read before giving it to me,"

Hatomi smirked when he gaped at her. He rubbed his forehead again and let out a breath.

"Besides, our parents are thirty-three years old, plenty young enough to enjoy powerful libidos and sex lives," Hatomi added.

This was the straw. Hizashi took her plate and his before going to the sink with a blush firmly in place on his cheeks. Hatomi smirked before following him to the sink and helping him with the dishes. She headed backed to her room with Hizashi behind her. He kept going when she ducked into her room to grab her jacket and bag.

She hoped mother and father did not forget tonight she would be sleeping at Sarada's house. Hatomi made sure she had a few outfits, her toiletries, magazines, blanket and pillow then stilled. "Fetishes for Beginners" sat on her night side table and Hatomi grinned.

* * *

Hatomi sat cross-legged on Sarada's red comforter. She wore her black sleep pants with red hearts all over them with a red tee-shirt with a black heart on it. Her hair was completely loose around her head and she had finally taken off her double sports bras half an hour ago. She could deeply inhale and exhale without the worry of her breasts bouncing too much.

It was a few minutes after six and they had finished dinner with an exhausted looking Sakura-sama ten minutes before. Sarada wore light purple pajama bottoms with a darker purple tee shirt while Chocho wore white pajama pants with a white tee-shirt.

"Woah, they just like sprang outta there," Chocho said, gesturing to Hatomi's breasts.

Hatomi looked at her chest and huffed. She sat up straight as it was proper etiquette and her breasts led the way with pointy nipples. At least she was among friends.

"Why do you even wear two sports bras?" Sarada questioned.

Oh the joy of not knowing the pain of large breasts. Hatomi sighed.

"If I do not then they hurt too much when I run or do anything remotely physically active," Hatomi said.

Sarada and Chocho gaped at her. Hatomi raised an eyebrow. Neither would know as their mothers were not so blessed either. Mother was average sized while Hinata-obasan, well, she was not related to the two girls in anyway and rarely talked about her breasts.

"Really?" they asked together.

"Truly," Hatomi said.

"Wow, I didn't even think of that," Sarada said.

Sarada looked at her chest and blinked. Hatomi rolled her eyes. No one would consider it unless they lived it. Hatomi raised her eyebrow when Chocho poked her chest hard. Hatomi huffed when her breasts jiggled.

She stared at Chocho when the other girl started laughing. Hatomi looked to Sarada for help but Sarada had both hands over her mouth while she giggled. Hatomi grabbed magazines out her bag but left the book for now. Her friends were still chuckling.

"What is so funny?" Hatomi questioned.

"They jiggle," Chocho said.

Hatomi snorted.

"Mine don't jiggle," Sarada said as she poked at her chest.

"Me neither," Chocho said.

Hatomi grinned at her friends before slipping off the bed. They both watched her as she did a small jump on the floor then stood still. Both gaped then started laughing again. Hatomi settled back on the bed beside Chocho and in front of Sarada.

"They're so springy! No wonder guys look at you so much," Sarada said.

Hatomi shrugged. Sometimes she loathed the male attention. The man at the register when she bought her magazines today...Hatomi repressed a shiver.

"Yes like the creepy old man at the sweets store," Hatomi said.

Sarada and Chocho stopped giggling and stared at her. Hatomi sighed. She waved the two off then opened a magazine, flipping through it aimlessly.

"I never thought of it like that," Sarada said.

"When you don't have 'em, you don't know what it's like," Chocho said sagely.

Hatomi nodded. Sarada picked up a magazine and they were silent for a moment until Sarada found a picture of a model with long hair in an interesting looking twist. Hatomi raised her eyebrow when Sarada shoved the magazine under Hatomi's face.

"Please?" Sarada begged.

Hatomi gave a short nod. Chocho wiped her hands off while Sarada leaped off the bed to get a box of hair accessories. Hatomi easily handed Sarada her brush and Sarada happily sat behind Hatomi and began brushing her hair.

Hatomi said nothing, happily taking the scalp massage as Sarada brushed her hair. Chocho picked out hair accessories that would go with the up-do as Hatomi read through the magazine in front of her. Sarada and Chocho had been playing with Hatomi's hair for years now and Hatomi trusted both girls not to do anything which would damage her hair.

"Jeez, it's so soft," Chocho muttered.

They had started putting Hatomi's hair up. Hatomi shrugged.

"Seriously, mine's all fuzzy with all these flyaways and I can't smooth it out no matter what I do," Chocho said.

"Hyuuga genes," Hatomi told her.

She was not lying. Hatomi washed her hair, conditioned it, and stayed with general rules of thumb for taking care of hair: no excessive heat when drying, keeping it out when sleeping, brushing it regularly, not brushing too hard, scalp massages almost every day to promote hair growth, trimming it every few months to get rid of dead ends, and no product. She did not use expensive shampoo but did use the one father pointed out since it had less chemicals in it than other brands. She happened to have gotten her father's perfect hair.

"True that," Chocho said. "Your dad's hair is amazing. So is Hizashi's actually. Shi and Shun got screwed out the perfect hair deal though."

"Yeah, but Tenten-sama's hair isn't that bad. It just takes more care which is probably why she has it in the braided buns all the time," Sarada said.

"Hn,"

"Yours isn't that bad either, Sarada," Chocho said.

Hatomi knew Sarada flushed.

"Thanks, Chocho. I wish I had your coloring though, you know?"

Hatomi grinned. This was how her friends operated. Paying compliments to each other while actually meaning it. Chocho thanked Sarada and asked Hatomi about hair tips again. Hatomi told Chocho her hair routine (again) and Chocho said how lucky Hatomi was about doing virtually nothing and having great hair.

"And a great body to boot. You're lucky," Chocho said.

Hatomi frowned. Where it was true she had not had to work for her long legs, broad hips, petite waist, and large breasts it did not mean she liked it. Hell, she knew she would not have to work particularly hard to keep her skin smooth and free from pimples. No one in father's family ever had horrible acne and mother never had obvious blemishes either.

"You can have my body," Hatomi said.

"I wish," Chocho said.

"As do I," Hatomi said.

She winced when Chocho tugged a bit hard on her hair. Chocho did not apologize. Hatomi scowled.

"You don't mean that," Chocho said.

Hatomi shifted forward but both friends let her go. She turned to look at Chocho over a shoulder and stared. Chocho stared right back, frowning with her arms crossed under her bust while Sarada bit her lips.

"Undo my hair and I will dress in the most unappealing outfit we can imagine. Then we will go for a walk," Hatomi said.

"Huh?" Chocho questioned.

"Afterwards, you can tell me whether you would still want my body," Hatomi said.

"You're on," Chocho said.

It did not take the two girls long to free Hatomi's hair. She tugged on both of her sports bras followed by one of Chocho's shirts which hung around her except in the chest where it was oddly tight. She pulled on a pair of Sarada's neon pink pants then Chocho's clashing brown coat. Hatomi tied up her hair in a messy pony tail and the other two dressed in normal attire.

Sakura-sama stared at them in passing but was obvious too tired from being out last night and stunned from seeing Hatomi in something so clashing Sakura-sama did not stop them. Hatomi quickly took to a roof and led her friends to the restaurant district.

"Stay far enough behind me so people will not mistake us for being in a group," Hatomi said.

"Okay," Chocho said, unsure.

"So you can listen to what men say to me when I am alone," Hatomi said.

"Oh, right," Chocho said.

Hatomi nodded and walked off, keeping her hands in her pockets and loosening her shoulders to attempt to have a more relaxed stance. She deliberately walked with a longer gait so she did not seem as elegant but knew it would not help much.

It happened five minutes later.

Four boys, around fifteen or sixteen years old, spotted her coming. Hatomi kept her eyes forward and her face neutral as the boy who had spotted her pointed her out to his friends. Hatomi glanced to the store opposite the boys and spotted Chocho and Sarada three yards back out of the corner of her eye. She looked forward again.

"Bounce baby bounce!"

"Why don't you come over here and have some fun?"

"Come baby, give us a smile!"

"I wanna get lost in your boobs!"

Hatomi kept walking, not even looking at the boys who kept shouting to her. No one on the street gave the interaction a second look. Civilians were abundant here and civilians were the ones who said nothing about sex.

She left the boys behind and kept moving. Ten minutes later, an older man stared at her with a leer on his face, eyes obviously watching her breasts bouncing. Hatomi made no motion to cover up and strode away. Five minutes passed before a man pretended to trip near her and his friends laughed at him.

"Look what I get for staring at a pretty girl," he said.

Hatomi ignored him and he called out "hey sweetheart" after her. When she continued to disregard the man he called her a cold bitch. Hatomi took this as a compliment. She stopped at a corner for a moment then waited there for a few minutes. Sure enough, a man asked her price and she glared at him until he took off. Hatomi gestured for Sarada and Chocho to come over which they did.

Sarada's eyes were wide behind her glasses and her lip was caught between her teeth. Chocho had a frown on her face and was staring around them, trying to catch the looks of all the men in the area.

"Well?" Hatomi questioned.

"Yeah, I see why you hate your boobs," Chocho said.

"Hn,"

They were back in Sarada's room within half an hour. Sakura-sama was sleeping on the couch. Hatomi smiled softly as Sarada rolled her eyes, covered her mother with a blanket then tucked her in. Sarada turned off the television and they were up in Sarada's room getting changed again.

"How do you deal with that all the time?" Chocho asked.

Hatomi shrugged.

"Normally I am with either Hizashi or you two. It helps Hizashi is taller and broader than a typical twelve year old and most males back off when they see him with me. They also back off when girls are in a group of two or more," Hatomi explained.

"So we're like, your protective friends unintentionally?" Sarada questioned.

"Hn,"

They hugged her. Hatomi rolled her eyes but accepted the hug. They discussed the rudeness of boys, laughed at magazine articles, and painted each other's nails. They heard a clatter from downstairs and Hatomi activated her Byakugan. Sarada and Chocho visibly relaxed when she smiled. A moment later, Sakura-sama burst into the room with her hair messy around her head, clothes rumbled, and panting.

"Hi mama," Sarada said.

"Oh, you're all here. I thought you guys went out," Sakura-sama said.

"We did but we're back," Sarada said.

Sakura-sama relaxed against the door frame with a sigh and a smile. She bade them good-night then left. Hatomi shook her head at Sarada's mother while Chocho giggled and Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Do your guys' moms do that? Like _always_ check in on you?" Sarada asked.

"Kind of," Chocho said.

Hatomi considered. Mother was always there but not necessarily checking up on her.

"No, not particularly," Hatomi said.

"But your dad does," Sarada said with a laugh.

Hatomi huffed but agreed with Sarada. Father had a tendency to observe her when she went out without him or Hizashi. She knew it was intentional as well. There was no possible way for her father to "happen" to be where she was at all times.

She did not mind per se as if she ever had an issue he would be there to help her if he felt she needed it. Most of the time he simply observed until he felt she would be fine then left as discretely as he had appeared.

"Or your brother," Sarada said.

Hizashi watching over her was welcome as well. He did not understand the concept of hiding from her sight but she did not mind and would never tell him she saw him every time. Hatomi shrugged to her friends then heard Sakura-sama go to bed. She smiled softly as she pulled the book out of her bag and dropped it onto the bed between Sarada and Chocho.

They looked at it, read the title then gaped. Hatomi smirked. Sarada picked the book up first and opened to the contents. She began reading the chapter titles out loud while Chocho snickered.

"Where did you get this?" Sarada asked, eyes shining in curiosity.

"From Hizashi who borrowed it from my parents," Hatomi said.

Sarada's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. Chocho ripped a bag of chips too hard and chips exploded over the bed. Sarada did not even chide her. Hatomi brushed some chips off her pajama pants and raised an eyebrow at her friends.

"Wow, your parents are into kinky sex?" Sarada questioned.

"Hizashi opened a secret scroll he found in their room when we were ten. He pulled out leather wrist restraints, a leather collar, and a whip," Hatomi said.

Silence.

"That's hot," Chocho said.

Sarada nodded then hummed, tapping her chin in thought.

"So, who wears the restraints and stuff?" Sarada enquired.

"According to the book my mother is the dominate and my father is the submissive so my father wears the restraints,"

"That's hotter," Chocho said.

Sarada agreed and went to the chapter where the quiz was. They giggled over mother's comments and went on to read about fetishes and bondage in general. Hatomi pointed out a few particular pages and they all read about different fetishes.

"Okay, I hate to say it but I'm totally picturing your dad in leather restraints with that collar on and wearing a leather thong," Chocho said.

Sarada burst out laughing, keeping it down since her mother was in bed. Hatomi snorted at Chocho then shrugged. Chocho kept grinning. Hatomi figured she should be embarrassed considering this was her father they were talking about but father was considered one of the handsomest men in Konoha.

"Wait, you said Hizashi lent you this book?" Sarada questioned.

"Hn,"

For some reason both dissolved into giggles. Hatomi blinked at her friends.

"Wow. I can't picture a boy reading this book and not being embarrassed," Sarada said.

Hatomi smirked.

"Hizashi does have certain issues when it pertains to our parents and them being sexually active,"

More giggles.

"Girls mature quicker than boys though, so," Sarada said with a shrug.

"Yeah and we kind of get over the whole sex thing cuz, ya know, monthlies and all that," Chocho said.

"Hn,"

Another reason Hatomi hated being female. She had started her "monthlies" two months before she turned eleven and like clockwork, it came back every twenty-three days and lasted for six. Speaking of she was on day twenty after her last cycle. Her breasts would start hurting tomorrow.

"Did you get it yet?" Chocho asked.

"No," Sarada said.

"Me neither, jeez, Hatomi still gets to be the only one," Chocho said.

"I assure you it is _not_ all it is cracked up to be," Hatomi said.

Chocho shrugged as she crunched on her chips.

"Yeah but it means you're a full-fledged woman, you know?" Chocho questioned.

Hatomi shrugged. She would rather turn back the clock and be nine again. Nine had been a good age. She had no breasts, no monthlies, and no men gaping at her. At nine she had wanted breasts, pouting at the little nubs she did have.

"Ah, you're not training tomorrow, are you?" Sarada asked.

Hatomi saw it was close to midnight. She shook her head and Sarada let out a breath of relief.

"Lee-sensei is on a mission so we are free to arrive when we wish. Metal will likely be there at five but I do not intend to go until I am good and ready," Hatomi said.

Sarada and Chocho agreed with her. Hatomi smiled as they went back to discussing the book and wondering who else in their groups' adults would be in which role. Hatomi and Chocho knew to stay clear of Sasuke and Sarada did not mention her missing father.

No, Hatomi would not chide her father in following her to make sure she was safe. She was his Princess after all.

* * *

Haha, Neji taking care of drunk Sakura and Tenten in entirely different ways. Poor Hizashi. And yes, I may have exaggerated Hatomi's situation a bit but I do have a friend who happens to have exceptionally visible boobs. She goes through Hatomi's situation often. And as a girl with bigger endowments, I can see the signs of a guy leering.

And yeah I get the girls are 12 but they got an _in depth_ sexual education course because hey, there are shinobi and if people are telling you have to survive in detail or how to kill a person, they're definitely going to teach you about how to procreate. Maturity wise, I figure most of the 12 year olds in the Naruto-verse (the originals or the kids) would be mentally older.

For those wondering why Miruku doesn't meow and squeaks: she's not a normal cat and makes more of a helium balloon being forced to lose their air sounds. My cat does the same so there.

I _might_ time skip this so we can see Neji with a grandchild. I'm definitely getting inspiration to write Hatomi and Hizashi older (16-18) so yeah. I don't mean in the next chapter though. We've gotta hit chunin first. ;)

As always: reviews welcome.


	22. Training

**Training**

 **Author's note:** There will be a few chapters before chunin and a few (time-skipping) chapters after. I'm kind of hoping to have this wrapped up by chapter 35-ish. *crosses-fingers*

Kyprioth: Ya know, I was actually thinking about having a one-shot collections of just Neji and Tenten's sexy times. The story does start to focus on the kids so the smut goes down. Glad I'm not the only one thinking about it.

Guest: *laughs* You know you're on a FAN-FICTION site right? I can make up all the crap that never happened I want. ;) And yes, I am going to bash Sasuke because really, who leaves Sakura alone to raise their kid then almost KILLS said child when seeing her for the FIRST time?

All Reviewers: I love you all. :)

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Hizashi winced when Hatomi's index and middle fingers slammed into one of his tenketsu points. Right shoulder, _hard,_ and his arm started to go numb from the shoulder to the side of his neck and down to the elbow. He flipped his Bo towards her but she ducked and lashed out again, fingers glowing with bright blue chakra.

His right arm moved twenty percent slower than the left now. Not good when his method of attack included weapons. He swung his Bo around again and managed to get a hit on her upper left thigh. She snarled.

Crap.

A flurry of movement came towards him: two finger strikes, high kicks, and even a flying elbow. The elbow hit him in the chest, right on a tenketsu point above his lung and Hatomi managed to shove chakra at him from a tenketsu near her elbow which cut his breathing in half.

He managed to _just_ dodge out of the way of most of her strikes but the ones which hit made him slow further. He could all ready feel the coin sized bruises forming on his flesh as Hatomi attacked him again and again.

She was pissy today and he had no idea why. Lee-sensei had come back from his mission yesterday after they had enjoyed a few days getting to wake up later. Hell, Hatomi had even got to have a sleep over five nights ago. She had no freaking reason to be so furious.

Hizashi kept blocking every strike he could but he knew the battle would be over soon with him flat on his ass. As he kept blocking he tried to think of what could have possibly annoyed his sister so much. He hadn't been making fun of her more than normal. He'd helped her with breakfast in the morning and didn't bug her about taking over the main bathroom at all this week. He hadn't even said anything when she had a huge bowl of chocolate ice cream after dinner last night...

Oh.

Now it made sense. Hatomi was going through her woman-thing. Yeah, he wouldn't mention it. He wanted to _live_ to see thirteen, thanks much.

Hizashi grunted when she slammed her open palm into his solar plexus and effectively cut off his chakra network from the main coil of power. He fell on his ass a moment later and winced when she crouched over him, two fingers aimed under his chin.

Hatomi breathed a bit harder than normal and some sweat decorated her bare forehead. Her hitai-ate hung towards him from around her neck and she had narrowed her golden eyes. The high points of her cheeks were pink more from cold than the work out and her navy blue jacket had been zipped up over her white frilly shirt. He could still see the frills which mocked a skirt under the hem of her jacket.

"Nice," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

Hatomi's annoyed sound but there was a bit of gratefulness in there, some pride. She got off him with a fluid movement then offered her hand to him. Hizashi took it and she helped him to his feet, stumbling a bit as he was heavier than her. Hizashi thanked her with a nod and planted his Bo into the ground so he could lean against it while his chakra recovered.

He watched as Hatomi strode away from him to ruffle through her pink bag. She came up with a bottle of water and sipped at it from her squatting position by the poles. Hizashi caught her wince, lightly holding her stomach but not her stomach. It was more the area right under her navel and Hizashi didn't need any more conformation on why Hatomi was so annoyed.

"My youthful flower! You are not sparring! What ails you?" Lee-sensei asked in a shout.

"Thirst," Hatomi said curtly.

Hizashi coughed to hide a laugh. Lee-sensei blinked and Hizashi saw the moment Lee-sensei caught the position of Hatomi's hand. He nodded sagely. Hatomi didn't move from her spot even though she wasn't drinking water at the moment.

Metal didn't know what was wrong. Hizashi knew it was because Metal didn't have to deal with a sister the same age as him or a mom who could be _scary_ when it came to that time of the month. Heck, even Shi and Shun had figured out to stay out of mom and Hatomi's way when their times came.

"Hatomi! Shall we bask in our youth together?" Metal questioned.

He was as loud as his father. Hizashi chuckled as he saw his sister mouth the words "youth can go to Hell" before she glared at Metal. She capped her water canteen then stood. A nod and Hizashi would be training with Lee-sensei. Hizashi didn't mind and watched as Hatomi began sparring against Metal.

Lee-sensei came to stand beside him and Hizashi smiled at his sensei, godfather, uncle, dad's best friend, etc, etc as Metal and Hatomi kept fighting. Hatomi had the upper-hand being smaller, lighter, and faster than Metal. She wasn't near out of chakra yet and kept striking out with chakra-laced hands, feet, or elbows.

Metal was quicker than Hizashi though and managed to get fewer hits on him. Hizashi blamed the fact he was going through a growth spurt and Metal wasn't on his lack of speed. Besides, Metal trained with leg weights to speed up. No way in Hell was Hizashi doing that. His body seemed to want to get big and beefy like say, Kiba-sama so Hizashi wasn't about to add more weight to his body.

"Boruto?" Lee-sensei asked.

Hizashi shrugged.

"Still a jerk along with Mitsuki," Hizashi said.

"Metal told me about what happened the day you went to seek them out," Lee-sensei said.

Metal took a brutal kick to the temple. Hizashi saw Lee-sensei wince but Metal stumbled back, shook his head then launched a kick of his own. Hatomi hadn't stopped moving though and had spun around to Metal's side to attempt to hit some tenketsu. She closed off three before he was able to regain his bearings and strike. He missed. Hatomi kept moving.

"Boruto's probably pissed Shikadai and Inojin came with me and Metal but whatever. Mitsuki didn't come to the Village until he was ten and we were all friends way before he came on the scene," Hizashi said.

Lee-sensei nodded. They both grimaced when Hatomi landed a palm thrust on Metal's upper right chest. Metal stumbled back then fell into a series of backwards cartwheels to gain some distance and breathing room. Hatomi easily followed him in one handed cartwheels.

She struck out again when they stilled and hit Metal in the right bicep. Metal's right arm didn't go limp and he lashed out with a punch off his left. Hatomi tilted her head and Metal's fist blew by her. She slammed her two-strike fingers into his left arm five times before he managed to get away.

"No one trusts Mitsuki. He is Orochimaru's son but as far as our intelligence goes, no one entered or left Orochimaru's hideout around the time Mitsuki would have had to have been born," Lee-sensei said.

Which meant Mitsuki probably hadn't been born in the traditional sense. Hizashi frowned. He didn't get why Naruto-sama let Orochimaru live after everything the snake-bastard had done. Dad and mom sometimes muttered about Naruto-sama being too soft on old enemies when they thought he and Hatomi weren't listening. Maybe he and Hatomi should take another trip to the records room to...

Hizashi gaped when Hatomi screamed but not in pain. Pure _fury_ filled her voice and her hands were enveloped in chakra a moment later, charka which _almost_ mimicked lion heads. Metal had punched her in the right breast.

Metal now stood gaping as Hatomi ran towards him with another yell of rage. Hizashi could feel her killing intent from here and he stood a dozen yards away. Metal stood in the spot, apologizing in a loud voice and waving his hands around. A green blur later and Hatomi rolled along the grass a few times before coming up on her feet with a snarl.

Lee-sensei stood in front of Metal with a little frown on his face. Hizashi had _barely_ seen Lee-sensei move. No wonder dad had issues keeping up with Lee-sensei sometimes.

"He did not mean it and you know that," Lee-sensei said.

Hatomi let out a breath and nodded. Hizashi walked over as his sister released her dojutsu and rubbed her right breast with a scowl on her face. She rubbed her breast and huffed a moment later and kept glaring at Metal.

"Ah, Hatomi! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you there," Metal said.

The poor guy was sobbing, knelt in front of Hatomi with his head on the grass. Hizashi bit his tongue to keep from laughing as Hatomi sighed. She knelt in front of Metal, lifted his head up and kissed his forehead.

"Apology accepted," Hatomi said.

Metal had turned red but he did nod. Hatomi patted the top of Metal's head then got to her feet and brushed her clothes off. A wince crossed her face and her hand went to the area under the navel again. Metal caught the motion, opened his mouth then closed it with a flush.

Hizashi spotted Lee-sensei's eyes flick from Hatomi to the sky. It was almost four. So what if they took off half an hour earlier than normal?

"Let us meditate for half an hour to calm and re-energize our youthful spirits," Lee-sensei announced.

Hatomi hummed but agreed with the plan. Hizashi followed her to the posts with Lee-sensei and Metal. Soon they all sat in the lotus position, arms draped over their knees, and bodies relaxed. Hizashi deactivated his Byakugan and put his Bo back into its scroll before closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing.

The half hour was up before he realized and Hizashi waved to Metal and Lee-sensei who were off to do 500 cool down laps around the field. Hizashi noticed Hatomi walked a bit slower than normal but didn't mention it. She also kept rubbing at the spot on her belly. Okay, maybe he should worry a bit.

"You okay?" Hizashi asked.

"It is nothing a hot compress and some tea will not solve," Hatomi muttered.

Hizashi nodded to her but said nothing more. Hatomi didn't talk much unless it was with the other girls or about a subject she happened to be interested in. Hizashi didn't mind. Like mom, he knew about his sister's quiet moments and knew better than to disturb them, especially today.

"Hey baby, what's your sign?"

Hizashi turned at the sound of the voice to see a man in his twenties grinning at Hatomi who ignored him. The guy didn't like that and broke from his group of friends to come up to her. Hizashi straightened his spine and thrust back his shoulders.

"I said, hey baby, what's your sign," the guy said.

"Stop," Hatomi told him.

Hizashi kept his chuckle back and glared up at the guy who had gotten into their path. Hatomi raised her eyebrow at the guy who gaped at her. Like a stupid line would work on his sister.

"Do you want to change it to go?" the guy asked.

"Not particularly," Hatomi replied.

"Why not?" the guy questioned.

Apparently Hizashi being _right there_ was doing nothing. Hizashi wished he was taller and wider, more intimidating looking. It probably helped the guy's confidence because the guy was a foot taller and fifty pounds heavier.

"For one: I am twelve years old," Hatomi said.

The guy's eyes almost fell out of his head and Hizashi coughed to hide a laugh.

"For two: my father, Hyuuga Neji would likely kill you in less than a minute and anyone who cannot hold their own against my father is not worth my time,"

Hizashi started chuckling as the guy's face paled then went an interesting shade of light gray.

"For three: my mother, Hyuuga Tenten would fill you with senbon so quickly you wouldn't feel the pain of any of it until it was finished then you would be dead,"

The guy took a step back. Okay, maybe Hatomi didn't need him pulling the big brother act.

"For four: my brother Hizashi (she jerked her head towards him) would finish you off. And lastly: I am bleeding out of my vagina and do not wish to deal with some idiot like you. Now, remove yourself from my sight before I get more annoyed,"

Hizashi grinned at the man, senbon between the fingers of his right hand. The guy almost tripped in his haste to get away then hid behind his laughing friends. Hatomi glared at them all and they backed up until they hit the wall behind them. Hizashi smirked as Hatomi flicked her hair royally and began walking away.

"You're awesome," Hizashi said.

"Thank you," Hatomi told him with a smile.

The rest of their walk was peaceful but Hizashi still spotted a variety of men leering at his sister. Hizashi scowled at the men as they met his eyes and most of them shrunk away. Some scowled back before huffing and walking off. Hizashi sighed and studied Hatomi out of the corner of his eye.

Okay, if he didn't think of her as his sister then she was hot: long toned legs that led up to broad hips, a full butt, slender waist, large boobs, a graceful neckline, and a smooth face with high cheekbones and a long, elegant nose. She also had dainty hands and feet with perfectly manicured nails. Her hair was thick, long, full, dark, and shiny while her eyes were pupil-less, yeah, but a less intimidating color. He would need a bigger Bo to fend off guys. And a more fright-inducting glare. Dad would help him with that.

"Hizashi,"

He turned at the sound of his name in a girl's voice and blinked at the four girls three yards away. They giggled at him and he waved a hand towards them with a little smirk. This made them giggle louder and blush.

"Hn,"

Hatomi's amused sound complete with a little smile.

"What?" Hizashi asked as they left the girls behind.

They turned onto their street. Home was a few blocks away and Hizashi wanted to shower, eat dinner then relax until dad wanted to train him outside.

"Fan-girls," Hatomi said.

Hizashi opened his mouth to protest but groaned. She was right. He had as many fan girls as she had fan boys.

"Why, why do I have fan girls?" Hizashi asked.

He sighed then caught Hatomi looking at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Have you _looked_ in a mirror lately?" Hatomi questioned.

"Huh?"

He blinked when Hatomi rolled her eyes at him. She began counting off on her fingers:

"Long, thick, shiny dark hair, golden eyes, smooth complexion, strong jaw, cute nose, broad shoulders, muscular chest, would you like me to keep going?"

Hizashi opened his mouth then closed it, disregarding the heat in his cheeks. He'd been so concerned about making other guys run off he hadn't noticed why he had fan-girls. Oh well. It wasn't like he was interested in any of the fan-girls. He wanted someone more substantial (like Sarada), not someone who giggled over him.

"Well?" Hatomi asked.

They were almost home now.

"Yeah, yeah," Hizashi muttered.

She giggled at him before jogging ahead slightly to open the door to the house. Hizashi was about to follow when he heard his name from nearby. He turned to see the neighbour's daughter and a friend of hers coming towards him.

"Hey Midori," Hizashi said.

Midori, thirteen now, smiled at him as her friend giggled. Midori wore black pants over her skinny legs and a thick light sweater over her slender frame. Hizashi didn't know what color the sweater was for sure but had a feeling it would be pink mainly because the shade of gray matched Hatomi's shades. He didn't know what color Midori's eyes were besides dark. Her long hair was lighter than his though.

Her friend wore the same kind of outfit and had dark hair with dark eyes. She was skinny too, not toned like Hatomi or Sarada but _skinny_ in a sort of unfortunate way.

"So, are you doing anything tomorrow night?" Midori asked.

"Probably training with my dad," Hizashi said.

He felt chakra and saw mom peering out the door of their house at him. Hatomi was probably using her Byakugan with dad and Shi to see what was going on. Shi was likely telling Shun Hizashi was talking to the neighbour.

"On a Friday night?" Midori questioned in awe.

Hizashi shrugged. Days of the week didn't matter to shinobi. Mom was glaring at Midori now. Hizashi had no idea why. Midori had been a kind of cool playmate when the other shinobi kids weren't around. They'd kind of grown apart when Hizashi and Hatomi went to the shinobi academy and Midori went into the civilian school.

"Well, yeah, why?" Hizashi asked.

"Well, I wanted to know if maybe you wanted to catch a movie with me," Midori said.

A movie sounded cool. Besides, he might as well spend his d-rank mission ryo on something. It would be nice to catch up with an old friend too.

"Sure, what time?" Hizashi questioned.

Midori gaped in awe then beamed. Hizashi hadn't realized she had wanted to catch up with him so bad. Now he felt like crap. Oh. She probably wanted to talk to Hatomi too.

"And I should probably tell Hatomi and see what she's up to tomorrow night," Hizashi said.

Midori blinked. Her friend started giggling. Hizashi had obviously missed something.

"Um, I kind of meant just me and you," Midori said.

Hizashi stared. Just him and...oh. OH. Midori didn't want to just catch up with him. She wanted to go on a _date_ with him. Hizashi didn't know what to do. He'd all ready said yes. He couldn't back out _now_.

"Uh, oh, okay, sure. Um," Hizashi didn't know what else to say.

He was blushing too which wasn't helping. Maybe mom would spear him with something pointy to he could die quickly from his humiliation. Midori smiled again.

"So, come by my place around six? We can have dinner after maybe," Midori said.

"Okay, yeah, sounds good. Um, I'll come by at six," Hizashi said.

"Awesome! See you tomorrow,"

She started walking off with a backwards wave. Hizashi lifted a hand in return and stared at her retreating figure. He had a date. His _first_ date. He didn't know whether to jump for joy or die.

"Hizashi," mom called out.

Hizashi almost fell flat on his face because he turned too quick. He made it into the house without crashing then stared as dad, Hatomi, and Shi turned off their Byakugan with little grins. Shun was giggling into Miruku's fur. Mom raised an eyebrow at him.

"So, um, Midori asked me out, like, on a date and I kind of said yeah before I realized it was a date and didn't know how to back out of it so now I'm meeting her at six tomorrow night for a movie followed by potentially dinner and I don't know how in the heck it happened,"

Hizashi saw dad's lips twitch. Hatomi giggled as Shun kept laughing and Shi coughed to hide a laugh. Mom squealed before hugging him tight and Hizashi grunted but patted her back.

"Aw! My baby boy has his first date," mom said _loudly_ in his ear.

"Yeah, and ow," Hizashi said.

"Hn," dad said.

Dad's amused sound complete with a grin. Hizashi took a deep breath when mom let him go then told him to go clean up for dinner. Hizashi took off down the hall and made it into the main bathroom before Hatomi could realize his intentions. She kicked the door but he snickered at her.

"Hizashi, you dolt! I need to change my tampon and mother's tampons will not work for me,"

Hizashi balked then groaned. Jeez, why did he have a sister who didn't give a crap who knew she was on her monthly-woman thing? Hizashi reluctantly opened the door and Hatomi kicked him out of the bathroom. Mom was snickering at him as he trudged into their room to use the en suite. At least he didn't have to wait to shower.

* * *

Hizashi sighed as mom pointed the camera at him _again_. All he wanted to do was leave the house, walk next door, pick up Midori and go on this stupid date. But nope, mom had to take his picture over and over, half sobbing about how he looked so handsome and how she was happy he was growing up but missed when he was younger.

Hatomi lounged on the couch, reading a book with a little smirk on her face while Shi and Shun pretended to play video games. Skipping dinner had _sucked_ and he was starving. He wouldn't get to eat till at least eight, maybe later. Stupid movie first then dinner.

"Mom," Hizashi whined.

"One more," mom said.

"Tenten," dad said.

She swatted him and dad sighed before easily pulling the camera from mom's grip. She yelped then attacked him as he stumbled back and held the camera a loft, out of mom's reach. Hizashi watched in awe as mom jumped onto dad's back and he moved the camera out of her way, giving him a look that screamed "would you _leave_ all ready?"

"I'll be back by ten," Hizashi said as he bolted towards the door.

"Neji you jerk! Gimme the camera!"

"Hn,"

"Have a good time, brother,"

"Don't hug her too tight!"

"Hn,"

Hizashi shut the door on his family and walked towards the neighbour's house. It was five minutes before six when he knocked on the door. The door opened to reveal Midori's dad, Mr. Nakamora. Hizashi blinked when the older man stared down at him with a frown.

Right.

Dad was protective of Hatomi so it made sense civilian parents would be protective of their non-shinobi daughters. Hizashi put a smile on his face but Mr. Nakamora didn't look impressed.

"Hello Mr. Nakamora. I'm here to pick up Midori," Hizashi said.

"Come in," Mr. Nakamora said.

Hizashi walked into the house after the taller man and looked around. The place was a similar layout to home but instead of books along the back wall there were movies and pictures. Instead of weapons decorating the other available wall space, there were more pictures. There were more plants (mom had a black thumb and dad preferred bonsai trees) in the home and a wall of pictures took up the hallway.

Mom and dad had put pictures up too, mostly of the whole family but they were more about keeping big photo albums. A wedding picture, Hizashi and Hatomi's first baby picture, Shi and Shun's first baby picture, and a family photo when Hizashi and Hatomi were about five were the predominate ones in the living room. The pictures in this house were of Midori and her little brother standing stiffly with their parents and smiling at a camera. For some reason, Hizashi's shinobi family were more relaxed in their photos.

Hizashi saw Mrs. Nakamora sitting on the couch with Tarou, Midori's younger brother who would be ten now. Tarou was glaring at him like his father while Mrs. Nakamora had a frown on her face. Hizashi refrained from sighing and wondered what was taking Midori so long.

"Um, I like your plants," Hizashi said.

"They're fake," Mr. Nakamora said.

Smooth.

"Oh, well they don't look it,"

Really smooth. Hizashi wanted to crawl in a hole or run. Where the _heck_ was Midori? He couldn't do small talk with civilians! Oh crap. He was about to go on a date with one. Now he liked the movie was going to be first. At least he didn't have to _talk_ during it.

"So, um, what time should I make sure Midori's back for?" Hizashi asked.

Mr. Nakamora raised an eyebrow and a little smile came to his face. Oh good. Hizashi had done something right.

"Ten," Mr. Nakamora said.

"Cool, then I'll have her back a few minutes before ten," Hizashi said.

"I'll hold you to that," Mr. Nakamora said.

Hizashi smiled then jolted when a door slammed closed down the hallway. Midori came walking down the hall in a _tight_ dress that ended at her mid-thighs. At least she wore leggings under the thing and a thick sweater over the shoulders. The top of the dress was kind of low to show off the cleavage. Her shoes were ankle boots with a tall heel and Hizashi wondered if Midori could walk for long in them. She had styled her hair in pretty curls and put make up on.

Mr. Nakamora's eyes narrowed as Midori came over to Hizashi and wrapped an arm through one of his. She wore some kind of floral perfume which was a little overwhelming but he decided not to mention it. He was more worried about having to keep her warm or something. Civilians weren't trained in taking the cold and it was cool tonight.

"Er, you're not going to be too cold, are you?" Hizashi asked.

Mr. and Mrs. Nakamora's jaws dropped. Her brother snickered. Midori stared at him in awe. She shook her head before giggling at him, running a hand over his bicep.

"No, I'll be fine. Bye guys! Come on, Hizashi, the movie starts at six-thirty," Midori said.

Hizashi waved to the Nakamora as he was dragged out the door by Midori. She didn't stop pulling them until they were half-way down the block. Hizashi let out a breath and looked at her. She was frowning.

"Um, so, what movie are we seeing?" Hizashi asked.

Midori grinned at him then put her head on his shoulder. Hizashi didn't know what to do exactly so kept his arm wrapped in hers.

"Don't know," Midori said.

Hizashi wanted to groan but kept it back. Okay, so she had wanted to get out of the house before her dad could keep grilling him. That was nice of her.

"Okay, we'll pick when we get there," Hizashi said.

She nodded into his shoulder and they continued to walk to the movie theatre. The walk was quiet but Hizashi had _no clue_ what to say. Should he talk about the awesome new katana mom had given him? Did he even mention he was carrying at least a thousand senbon, five hundred kunai, and his Bo on him? What about mentioning the fact he had started learning Revolving Heaven? What the _Heck_ did civilians even talk about? He had to say _something_.

"So, my mom got me this new katana the other day. The fuchi and kashira are like this beaten bronze color and the ito is pitch black with tiny silver threads running through it to match the silver menuki. The habaki's silver too and the saya's got silver etchings in it. It's got an okissaki tip and the front tip is more curved then straight and the fuller is perfect on both sides. It makes the best three whistles together when you swing it too,"

Midori stared at him with parted lips and wide eyes. Hizashi refrained from rubbing the back of his head or laughing. Okay, maybe he'd said a little much. It probably hadn't helped he'd used his free hand to gesture wildly through the air. This is when Hizashi kind of wished he was more like dad: calm, cool, and collected.

But dad didn't talk at _all._ Hizashi was probably over-thinking things (another mom trait) but had no idea how to stop. Why the Heck did he agree to this? Worse yet, Metal and Lee-sensei would ask about it on Monday and the rest of his family would stay up till he came home tonight to ask how it went. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He should've just trained with dad.

"Wow, you know a lot about swords," Midori said.

Hizashi resisted the urge to tell her a sword wasn't anything like a katana, not really. Plus there were _so many_ types of swords and...arg.

"Yeah, well, weapons in general," Hizashi said.

She gaped at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah, katana are great for general fighting but nothing beats a Bo. You can defend with it, attack with it, and use it to propel yourself off the ground, you know? Plus if you spin it fast enough then you can deflect whatever's coming at you. It's one of the most versatile and simple weapons,"

She smiled. Oh good. She was smiling. This was a good sign, well; at least he _thought_ it was a good sign.

"That's really cool," Midori said.

Hizashi wasn't sure if she was patronizing him or why she would if she was. At least they'd made it to the movie theatre now and could talk about what movie to watch. Hizashi thought Midori would pick the obvious romantic comedy but she surprised him by picking the horror flick.

Hizashi nearly had a heart attack when he realized she wasn't carrying a purse on her and he quickly paid for both their tickets. She kissed him on the cheek and he almost tripped over his feet. She giggled.

She had to lead him to the concession stand since he was still a little woozy with the kiss. Okay, so it had felt _nice_ and he really wouldn't mind her doing it again. He bought them a large bucket of popcorn to share and she suggested they get _one_ drink with two straws. Hizashi happily agreed and carried both while she clung to his arm.

The theatre they had to go in was dim so Hizashi activated his Byakugan. The world erupted into dim color and he saw Midori's hair was light brown with auburn highlights. Her dress was red while her over coat and leggings were black. Her eyes were a kind of green-blue color and she wore pink lipstick. She was also looking up at him with wide eyes.

"What are the veins?" Midori asked.

"Huh? Oh, my Byakugan. Helps me see in the dark better than a non-Byakugan user so I can find us seats better," Hizashi said.

She nodded in wonder and he easily found them seats in the middle of the theatre. He put the drink in the holder between them and gaped when she pulled off the overcoat. Her dress had no sleeves. He _almost_ dropped the popcorn when all her creamy white skin was revealed but caught it at the last second. He kind of fell into his seat and she giggled at him before sitting beside him.

He almost fell out of his seat when she began tracing the veins around his right eye. It didn't hurt but it felt kind of tingly. Chakra pulsed through the veins she touched and he could feel the heat of her fingers in a really hyper-sensitive sort of way.

"You kind of have pupils now," Midori said.

He couldn't speak. She had leaned over their arm rest to stare deep into his eyes, so close he could _feel_ her breath on his lips and the tip of her nose on his. Did he kiss her? Would it be weird? How the Heck did he even _kiss_ a girl? Maybe he should've asked dad about it.

"Uh, yeah, you have really pretty eyes," Hizashi got out.

Midori gasped then chuckled before kissing his cheek again. She drew back with a smile and a faint blush on her cheeks. Hizashi let out his breath and reluctantly deactivated Byakugan. He leaned back a bit in his chair and put the popcorn bucket on his lap, holding it steady with his left hand. Midori sat on his right and he kind of wanted to keep that arm free.

The movie started a few minutes later and Hizashi licked his dry lips. He glanced to his right to make sure Midori wasn't leaning funny then took a sip of their drink. He realized it had _one_ straw and gulped, almost choking when the soda tried to go down funny. He made it to a normal position without making a complete fool of himself.

A moment later he almost jumped out of his seat when Midori's left hand went to the bucket in his lap to take a small handful of popcorn. Hizashi realized he hadn't seen the first few minutes of the movie then had to hold back a yelp when someone screamed.

Oh. It came from the screen. A girl was being stabbed. Hizashi would've hit the roof but his shinobi skills kept him in place when Midori leaned into him, eyes wide and jaw dropped. He could see the fear in her eyes and wondered why the heck she had wanted to watch this kind of movie if she was scared. She leaned deeper into him so Hizashi wrapped his free arm around her shoulders. She kissed his cheek.

Just like that, Hizashi didn't care he didn't have a free hand to eat the popcorn.

* * *

Hizashi was glad he had been able to pick the restaurant. He didn't have a lot of ryo left in his wallet and had expected Midori to pay for well, something. He also had to remember Midori was a civilian girl who probably didn't believe in the same things as his mom or sister.

He didn't mind too much. Heck, she had cuddled against him the entire movie. Sure, he hadn't gotten to eat any popcorn but he had kind of kissed her since they shared the same straw and all. Okay, so maybe it wasn't a real kiss but it was something. At least he thought it was something.

"So, dad's going to teach me Revolving Heaven soon which is really cool because then I can deflect all sorts of weapons and stuff," Hizashi said.

"How?" Midori asked with a blink.

"Well, basically I release the chakra from all my tenketsu points and spin really fast to create a dome around me," Hizashi said.

"Oh, okay. So, can Hatomi do it?"

Hizashi nodded and swallowed the bit of fish he had in his mouth.

"Yeah, she's past the Revolving Heaven and learning the Vacuum Palm then the Mountain Crusher and the Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists. It's all chakra control and being really precise with it. So, what's your school like?"

He had somehow asked the right question. Midori started talking about her teachers, her classes, and her friends. Hizashi commented when appropriate, listening in a way but more watching her mouth move. She had nice lips.

"I mean, I know I should figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life but I don't know. I mean, dad's a merchant and mom basically stays at home and raises us kids. I don't want to be a housewife but I don't know what I want to do," Midori said.

"Right, I don't even know what to tell you. Shinobi's kind of been my choice since I was a kid," Hizashi said.

She giggled at him. Hizashi smiled and realized he had almost finished his meal. Midori still picked at hers but they could have dessert after and Hizashi knew the people at the restaurant wouldn't mind if they hung out for a bit. Besides, it wasn't even nine yet. They had at least an hour to kill.

"What if you couldn't be a shinobi? What would you be?" Midori asked.

She probably had no idea how close he had come to having to pick what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Hizashi shrugged.

"I don't know. Probably something to do with weapons," Hizashi replied.

Midori smiled at him.

"You're lucky you have something you're so passionate about. I mean, I like things sure but there's nothing I'm excited about like you when you talk about weapons. How did you get into it?"

Hizashi thought about it as Midori picked at her food. Hizashi had a feeling Midori was one of those girls who believed she had to be super skinny to be attractive but somehow had to have big boobs and a huge butt. So far Hatomi was the girl who followed all ideals but she hated it. Hizashi thought it was kind of funny. Right, weapons.

"Well, my mom has weapons all over the house as displays and I guess I was curious about them so started asking. She started showing them all and then she and dad started basic training with Hatomi and me. Turns out I've got really good aim and yeah," Hizashi said.

Midori giggled and Hizashi smiled.

"See, I don't have that," Midori said.

"Well, what do you wish you could do in your free time?" Hizashi questioned.

Midori smiled and a bit of a blush came to her cheeks. Hizashi blinked.

"I want to spend more time with you, for one,"

Midori kept grinning and Hizashi felt the heat in his cheeks. Oh. Well, _oh_. He had no idea Midori harboured such a crush on him. She was nice and it felt good when she kissed his cheek or leaned on him. Okay. So he would have to figure out how to spend more time with her between training, hanging out with his friends, being with his family, and going out on missions. It couldn't be too difficult, right?

Hizashi kept the smile on his face as he lead Midori to her door at five minutes before ten. They had spent the rest of the night talking about what Midori could do for a living before he walked her home. Now she was about to go inside but Hizashi found he didn't want to let her go yet. It was a weird feeling.

"So, um," Hizashi said.

She held both his hands in hers then got up on her tiptoes. Hizashi almost fell over when her lips, soft, full, warm, and with a faint hint of strawberries, pressed against his. He moved his mouth against hers, keeping it closed, and didn't want the moment to end. It did end but Midori drew back with deep gray cheeks and a smile on her face.

"We can do this again, right?" Hizashi got out.

"Sure," Midori said.

"Okay, um, next Friday?" Hizashi asked.

She nodded then kissed his cheek. He watched as she opened her door part way then smiled at him from over one shoulder.

"Night, Hizashi,"

"Night,"

The door closed and for a few seconds all he could do was stare at it. Midori had kissed him, full out on the mouth, _kissed_ him. Hizashi grinned and began walking, almost skipping, down the walk, through the gate and towards his home. It had been awesome as far as first dates went. Heck, it could have been worse, right?

Hizashi stopped from humming then took a breath before letting himself into the house. As expected, mom, dad, and Hatomi waited up for him on the couch. Mom sat by the arm rest with dad sprawled over the couch on his side with his head in mom's lap. Hatomi had taken over the flat area while Miruku lay on her stomach. They were kind of watching television but Hizashi had sworn he saw the veins disappear from Hatomi and dad's face a few seconds ago.

"So, how was it?" Mom asked.

Hizashi opened his mouth to talk about the movie but he couldn't remember what it was about. All he remembered was Midori had clung to him and she had been scared. He knew he had fish for dinner but all he could think about was Midori's soft lips.

"I have no idea what the movie was about and can't remember what I ate for dinner," Hizashi said.

Hatomi snickered at him. Mom grinned.

"Good then," mom said.

"Hn,"

Dad's amused sound complete with a little chuckle. Hizashi wanted to bash his head off the wall but instead said his good nights and escaped to the peace of his room. Okay, so the date had been good. He just hoped Sarada didn't mind.

* * *

That last line, right? ;)

Reviews welcome.


	23. Dating

**Dating**

 **Author's note:** So I kind of left the kinky sex behind...sorry? They have kids and there are PoVs for those kids and yeah. BUT FEAR NOT! Kinky sex will be back in this chapter and it'll be from Neji's PoV. ;)

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Hatomi smoothed down the pink pleated skirt she wore over her black leggings and considered her shirts. It was December and the nights were cold now but despite the coldness in there air they had no snow yet. It would come in a week, possibly two. She would have to give in and wear pants then.

Hatomi let out a little breath as she found a black sweater. It would fall over the skirt a little bit and would be thick enough to drive off the cold even without a jacket. Hatomi pulled the sweater over her head and tugged it down so it fell into place well. She adjusted the turtle neck collar before clipping a silver heart pendant on a silver chain over her sweater. It took her a moment to brush out her hair then tie it into a high pony tail at the back of her head.

Hatomi studied her figure in the mirror then nodded before tugging on a pair of ankle high black leather boots. She dabbed chap-stick tinted pink onto her lips then shoved it in her pink purse before stepping out of her room. Hatomi stopped and stared before moving down the hallway.

Hizashi stood in front of the main bathroom mirror wearing a pair of black slacks with a long sleeved bright blue sweater. Black dress shoes were on his feet and he was brushing out his long hair. His hair had gotten extra long again, hanging past his waist and almost to his buttocks. Hers was longer still, to her mid-thighs but she was female and people somewhat expected it.

"Are you seeing Midori tonight?" Hatomi questioned.

"No, I like to dress up for the guys, don't you know?" Hizashi returned.

Hatomi snorted at him. He finished with his hair, fluffing it out a bit then opened a bottle of cologne. Hatomi blinked as he sprayed a bit on either side of his neck before putting the cologne away. The scent of forest after a rain filled her nostrils and Hatomi found it pleasing.

"Well?" Hizashi asked.

He turned to her and held his hands up at his sides a bit. He was not biting his lip but she could tell he wanted her approval. Hatomi did not know why her approval would make a difference and toyed with the idea to insult him.

"You look good," Hatomi said.

"The cologne's not too much?"

She shook her head with a little shrug.

"It is a good smell. It suits you,"

"Thanks,"

He beamed at her and Hatomi smiled. They left the hallway together to see mother lying on the couch on her back, reading, while father lay atop of her with his head on her stomach and reading his own book. Their legs were entangled and both looked entirely relaxed while Shi and Shun played some video game on the television.

"Aw, Hizashi's got a date," Mother said.

"Hn,"

Father's amused sound. Hatomi saw Hizashi flush.

"I'll be back by ten," Hizashi said.

"As will I," Hatomi said.

"Do you have a date?" mother asked.

Hatomi saw father stiffen and his eyes went wide. He raised an eyebrow at her from over his book and a frown came to his face. Mother started snickering at his reaction. Hatomi refrained from rolling her eyes.

"No, I do not have a date. I am going to a cafe with Sarada and Chocho," Hatomi said.

"Hn,"

Father's pleased sound. Hatomi rolled her eyes.

"Would it be horrible if I went on a date?" Hatomi questioned.

Father blinked. He opened his mouth then closed it. Hatomi raised an eyebrow at him as Hizashi said his good-byes and slipped out of the house a moment later. Hatomi waited.

"No," father said. "But I still see you as my princess and it is difficult to think of you dating."

Hatomi smiled at him before walking into the living room and kissing him on the cheek. He chuckled at her as mother giggled.

"I will always be your princess, father," Hatomi said.

"Hn,"

Father's joyful sound. Hatomi's smile widened a bit. She assured her parents she would be back by ten as well then left. The sun had set even though it was hardly six in the evening. Hatomi had no qualms about walking alone at night especially through her safe neighbourhood and into the Konoha market district.

She made it to the cafe she, Sarada, and Chocho planned to meet at ten minutes before the meeting time and strode inside. Neither girl had beaten her to the cafe so Hatomi sat at a table for three and ordered hot chocolate from the waitress. She held the mug between her hands when it came and watched the street outside the cafe.

Other people were chatting from the dainty white metal tables with their delicate wrought iron chairs. The floor shone a bright white with gray swirls while the walls were petal pink. The decor kept up the pale pink theme and all the waitresses wore cute halter-dresses with poofy skirts. Hatomi felt as if she had stepped into a dollhouse but loved it.

Time passed and Hatomi frowned. Both were late. Sarada and Chocho were never late and Hatomi went to the phone in her purse to make sure she had the correct date and time. She did. Strange her friends would be late.

Hatomi sipped her hot chocolate and kept an eye on the door. Her phone told her each minute which passed and Hatomi scowled. She gave in and dialed Sarada's number. The phone rang once, twice, three times and finally was picked up.

"Sakura here,"

Sakura-sama sounded more chipper than normal. Hatomi stared into her hot chocolate and put a fake smile on her face so she would not sound disappointed when she asked her question.

"Hello Sakura-sama. Is Sarada there?"

"Ah, yeah, Sasuke came back about an hour ago so we're finishing up a family meal then spending some time together,"

Ah. No wonder Sarada had stayed home. It would have been appreciated to get a _call_ at least. There would be nothing Hatomi could do now. She did not want to rip her best friend away from her estranged father as horrible as the father might be.

"Hn, thank you Sakura-sama,"

"Did you want to talk to her?"

"No, no, it is fine. Tell her not to worry and I understand,"

Hatomi hung up before Sakura-sama could ask what had gone on. Hatomi knew Sakura-sama would figure out Sarada had planned to meet with Hatomi tonight and bailed. Hatomi let out a breath then dialed Chocho's house number.

"Choji,"

"Hello Choji-sama, is Chocho there?"

Her frown deepened when she heard a sigh.

"She's here but she's doing some training with Inojin and Shikadai. It was a planned thing between me, Shikamaru, and Ino to surprise them with it,"

Hatomi could not be angry at this. She could still be let down but at least Chocho had not deliberately abandoned her.

"Hn, thank you Choji-sama," Hatomi said.

She hung up as Choji-sama gave her a happy you're welcome. Hatomi put her phone away and considered. She could not be annoyed at Sarada as Sasuke rarely visited the village and Sarada deserved to spent time with her father. Chocho had surprise training so Hatomi could not be angry at her either.

Hatomi did not want to go home yet as it had been less than an hour since she had left. She did not want to aimlessly sit in the cafe either. Well, she could finish her hot chocolate and have a piece of cake. Then perhaps home in an hour or so to explain to her parents her friends had unexpected engagements tonight.

Pity.

They could not spend time together tomorrow night as Sakura-sama planned to teach Sarada some medical techniques while Chocho learned to cook from her parents on Saturday nights. They could not get together Sunday night as Hatomi's training started too early for her to spend any time out.

Father planned to train with her both days and she did want to get some sleep in. Lee-sensei wanted to do a bit of training as well but said it had been up to her and Hizashi if they met with the two Green Beasts. Hatomi had enough training to do with father.

She waved down the waitress and ordered a piece of strawberry cake. Hatomi ate her cake delicately while listening to other women in the cafe and watching the people walk in and out of the cafe. There was not much foot traffic since it had become cool and dark. Civilians did not like walking alone at night despite the Village being relatively safe.

Hatomi had almost finished her cake when the door opened and she recognized the person walking in. Green spandex looked absolutely garish against the pink and white of the cafe but Hatomi did not mind. Orange leg warmers and the scarf did not help but Hatomi smiled when Metal Lee sat across from her with a broad smile.

"Hello Hatomi," Metal said.

"Hello Metal,"

"Why are you out here alone?"

He kept smiling even when Hatomi let out a little breath.

"Uchiha came to visit Konoha while Chocho is doing surprise training with Inojin and Shikadai,"

"Ah, well would you like me to keep you company on this fine evening?"

Metal's grin became infectious and Hatomi returned the gesture though nowhere near as wide as his. She nodded, giving him her happy sound and he practically glowed with joy. Hatomi forced down the heat in her cheeks but leaned forward on her arms a bit. There would be no harm in enjoying her night with Metal Lee.

* * *

Neji let out a breath as Shi and Shun finally went to bed at nine-thirty. The weekends meant the children were allowed to stay up later but it also meant he and Tenten could do nothing until all the children were home and in bed. Neji let out a breath and turned down the corner of the page he read before shutting his book.

He placed it onto the living room table and shifted so he lay atop Tenten, front to front. He kept his elbows off her stomach as he knew it would hurt her but lay his arms to her sides, half propped on his elbows. He met her eyes with his head raised off her body. He half-lidded his eyes, knowing it made him sensual when he looked up through his lashes. She raised her eyebrows at him and smiled.

"What's up buttercup?"

Neji smirked at her odd choice of nickname but did not complain. She made up cutesy names for him daily and he happened to like the quirk. He would never admit it out loud but knew she knew.

"I want to play," Neji said.

He lowered his voice to the tone he used in the bedroom and saw her eyes widen marginally. A faint blush came over her cheeks and she licked her lips. Neji allowed a little smile to play over his lips: the one he _knew_ would drive her wild and get her wet. She gulped.

"Hatomi and Hizashi won't be home yet," Tenten said.

"Hn, but they _can_ take care of themselves," Neji mentioned.

Both also knew what he and Tenten might be up to in the bedroom if they came home and saw the front room empty. Hatomi would tease Hizashi about it but turn off the lights and walk by their room without checking in on them. Hizashi might mutter about it but he too would leave them alone.

"Okay, good point," Tenten said.

Neji hummed before shifting upwards to plant little kisses along her neck. Tenten giggled at him as he pressed his hips against hers to let her feel how hard he was. He wanted to be bound, gagged, and spanked. He wanted to taste her, lick her, and make her shiver in pleasure. Neji bit on her neck, softly, and she tugged his hair gently.

"Mistress, please,"

Her hands trembled at the use of her _other_ name. Neji lifted his head from the crook of her neck and licked his lips in the way which made her soaked. She looked to the door, nodded then pushed him.

Neji stood gracefully, extending a hand to help her up and she took it with a smile. She led the way into their bedroom and shut the door behind them, locking it before turning to him with a smile on her face.

"Well?"

Neji felt the heat rise to his cheeks but kept the soft grin on his face. He loved stripping for her. The way her eyes travelled over his body made him feel more than appreciated and the way she licked her lips subconsciously when all his flesh was revealed made him feel as if he was something special.

Neji took off his plain tee-shirt and tossed it towards the hamper. He missed but she was not paying attention to his aim. He let his hands roam over his chest before pushing his loose pants down to his ankles and kicking them off towards the rest of the dirty laundry. His pants were a yard and a half short of the goal. Tenten licked her lips, eyes going straight to the bulge in his tight briefs.

Neji happily tugged his briefs off before tossing them into the hamper. He did not miss this time. Neji straightened his spine as she strode over to him, easily throwing her shorts and tee-shirt into the hamper followed by her bra.

Kami she was beautiful: tanned smooth skin over delicately toned muscles, perky breasts even at over thirty with pert brown nipples, a smile which reminded him of the sun, eyes the color of chocolate, and her _lips_. Neji shivered when she ran one calloused hand over his chest down the middle.

"On the bed," Tenten, his Mistress, said.

Neji inclined his head then turned on his heel to get onto the bed. It was easy to fall into position, kneeling straight up with his hands loose at his side. Tenten smiled at him before going to their closet. She had to jump to get to their box but Neji grinned at the way her breasts bounced.

She sat the box on the edge of the bed and laid out the scroll before meeting his eyes. She licked her lips and Neji wanted to pull her close to kiss her but it would ruin the mood. Besides, he loved being under her control. It felt good to be submissive with Tenten when he usually dominated every other interaction in his daily life. He could relax and worry about nothing.

"What do you want?"

There were so many choices and Neji let out a little breath as he thought. He knew he wanted her bare hand to spank him. Her delicate hand felt so good against his ass and he preferred the feel of it rather than any whip, paddle, or cane. He also wanted the ball gag. The straps across his face made little tingles go down his spine and the taste of the red ball in his mouth made him hard.

As for actual restraints, well, he had a lot of choices. The spreader bars, the posture collar, the posture corset, the d-ring corset with its chains, and his wrist restraints. Neji wanted to be fully bound tonight though which meant wrists and ankles. He did not want to be stretched out by the spreader bars.

"Well?"

Neji flushed. She raised her eyebrows at him, tilting her head to one side adorably in question.

"The ball gag for certain, Mistress, and I want to be spanked as well as completely tied up but I do not want to be stretched out," Neji said.

Tenten smiled. The ball gag came out first then the rope. Neji wanted to fall over in embarrassment. How could he have forgotten about the rope?

"Do you want a good spanking?"

Neji bit his lip and nodded. Tenten grinned and he watched as she went to their armless chair in the corner. He felt his heart rate increase and his cock throb in anticipation. She was going to tie him over the chair. Kami, Tenten was brilliant.

She pointed to the chair and he moved off the bed. When she pointed down, he knelt. Tenten moved the chair then pushed him forward so his chest went over the seat with the chair's back at his right side. He said nothing as Tenten pressed his upper thighs against one front and one back leg of the chair but did put his arms in the same position.

Neji pursed his lips as Tenten put his hair into a bun. He nodded when she began tying. She started at his wrists, using the middle of the rope to bind them together before wrapping either end of the rope loosely around each of his arms then around one front and one back leg of the chair. He watched with a growing smile as she tugged the rope under the chair in a cross pattern before wrapping his thighs to the legs of the chair.

The rope tucked into the bend of his knee before lightly wrapping down his calves. Neji let out a breath of pleasure as she pulled his ankles together then bound them with the rest of the rope. His cock rested against the side of the chair but pointed towards the chair's underside. Neji tried to shift but all the rope kept him in place. Perfect.

"Before I gag you, how would you like to be spanked?"

"Your bare hand, please Mistress,"

His voice had become breathy but he did not mind. Tenten smiled at him before kneeling in front of him to kiss him hotly. Neji moaned into the kiss and shivered when her hands ran up and down his spine. She knew all his pleasure points and used them to drive him insane. He loved it.

"Do you want your collar?"

Ah yes. His collar. He enjoyed the feel of the leather around his neck, the way she tugged on him to get him to move or obey. He quivered in excitement then nodded. She patted his cheek before standing. She returned with the entire scroll and Neji watched as she pulled out his collar.

He could not help but smile when she wrapped it around his neck. The leather was cool to the touch, restricting but not to the point where he could not breathe. Her hands did not linger long at the back of his neck to clip the collar in place and she allowed the chain to flow towards the floor.

"Do you want anything up your ass?"

More choices: anal beads, a number of butt plugs, a few different dildos, and the strap on. Neji considered. He wanted her to get off but he wanted to be spanked. They could not do both at once.

"Perhaps you can spank me as I wear the anal beads then ram me with the strap on, Mistress?"

Tenten's eyes glowed with joy at his suggestion. Neji watched both the strap on and the anal beads come out of the scroll. She brought forth one of their vibrating dildos and Neji gulped as she inserted this one into herself. The expression on her face when she did made his cock twitch impatiently.

She pulled on their leather glove and he felt pre-cum leaking down his length. He could not see what she did at his ass but he _felt_ it and that was what mattered. She ran her lubed digit in its leather confinement along the rim of his hole and Neji bit back a moan.

He kept his chuckle back when she cursed then strapped the ball gag into place. Neji winked at her and gasped when she gave him a hard spank. He trembled and she chuckled at him. The spank made his butt-cheek tingle in pleasure. He moaned low when she went back to rimming him with her finger.

She pushed her first finger into him and Neji lowered his head, holding back another moan. She finger-fucked him and he thrust into her as hard as he could. He was panting around the gag by the time she felt finished and he closed his eyes in joy when Tenten pressed the first bead against his ass.

The anal beads made getting stretched so much easier. He loved the feel of progression as the string went up his ass. And when Tenten pulled them out as he release he would scream to the heavens. She did not make their room soundproof for fun. She had but not the kind of fun most people expected.

Neji let out a happy breath as the last bead entered his ass. He clenched around them before shifting back a bit as she rubbed his ass. Neji loved when she rubbed him after inserting something into him. It made him clench and clenching with anything up his hole felt amazing.

"You okay?"

Neji nodded. Why would he not be okay? He felt _amazing_ all tied up and at Tenten's mercy. He supposed it was kind of her to check to make sure he had no issues.

Neji let out a moan, closing his eyes when her hand swatted his ass. He lowered his head, trembling as she spanked him, making him clench around the anal beads with each hit. He could hear her using the dildo on herself and forced his eyes open to watch.

She knelt beside his ass, right hand spanking him while her left pulled and pushed the dildo in and out. Tenten had bent slightly forward, legs spread, with her chin almost resting on his lower back as she worked the dildo into her dripping hole. She met his eyes and smiled. Neji let out a groan and she kissed his lower back.

"Come when you need," Tenten said.

He nodded but would not come until she did. He liked it when they came close together and besides, making her feel good was his ultimate goal. If she did not feel good then he would not feel good. It was how they worked.

Neji lowered his head as her hand kept swatting against his ass. His entire butt tingled with the pleasure-pain and his body shuddered under the force of holding back his orgasm. Neji felt his cock twitching painfully and knew his body wanted release. He was close.

Judging by the sounds she made, Tenten was not far either. He cracked open his eyes to see her thrusting her hips forward and back. Her brown eyes were half-lidded, focusing on him, and she panted through moist pink lips. Wetness leaked down her thighs and the dildo squished loudly in the room as it penetrated her.

Tenten groaned low in her throat and began shivering. Neji let his body take over and felt come explode out of his cock as a tingling sensation went down his spine. Neji was glad he was leaning over the chair or he may have fallen over. He took several deep breaths through the nose to calm his pounding heart before meeting Tenten's eyes.

She had sat on the floor, legs spread, and the dildo still inside. She had also tugged the anal beads out of his ass while he had come and Neji wanted to thank her. He could not speak but knew Tenten could read the sentiment in his eyes.

She did not linger long on the floor. The dildo came out with a lewd pop and she set it on a towel with the anal beads to wash later. Neji watched as she tugged on the strap on. He wanted to lick his lips but settled for pressing them against the ball gag. His cock twitched and began to harden again at the sight of her putting the strap on properly into place.

"You still okay?"

The rope did not chafe his skin but gave a nice kind of pressure everywhere it was tied. None of his limbs tingled with being asleep from loss of circulation but his buttocks certainly throbbed from the spanking. It was an amazing sensation so he had no concerns. His body shuddered from pleasure not from being restrained.

Neji nodded and Tenten ran a hand down his spine, fingers hardly brushings against his flesh. Neji could not help but let out a low purr at her teasing touch. She kept stroking his back softly and Neji whimpered, thrusting his hips as best he could to let her know he was ready to be pounded. Tenten chuckled at him.

"Do you want the whip while I ram you?"

Ah, yes, his back would be completely exposed while she entered him with the strap on. Neji considered as Tenten kept petting him lightly, never straying from his spine. His cock had become fully erect again, dripping onto the floor at his thighs.

"Neji?"

He pulled his head away from her hands when she went to tug down the ball gag. Tenten raised an eyebrow at him but he nodded. He could not help being distracted while she rubbed his spine. Tenten kissed his forehead.

"You want the whip,"

He nodded again even though he knew she had not asked. She kissed his forehead again before going back to the scroll. Their whip came out and Neji quivered in impatience. He let out a strangled shout when she pushed the cock of the strap on into him with a fluid motion. He felt her hand rubbing his lower back and smiled around the ball gag. This would be amazing.

Tenten began thrusting, _hard,_ into his body and the whip came down across his back. The feeling of being filled so completely, of her hitting his prostate with her thrusts, and the sensual sting of the whip against his back almost made him cum right there. He scarcely held back his orgasm and shuddered in pleasure as she kept moving.

The whip came down again making his nerves flare up in pleasure-pain, tingling down the length of the slash and Neji moaned. He let his head hang lose, noticing briefly his hair had come down from the bun to touch the floor with the leash of his collar.

More thrusts, more slashes from the whip and Neji lost track of the sensual sounds he made and the wonderful sting from every slash. He lost count of how many times she whipped him but did hear her gasping behind him, enjoying this as much as he did.

"Come when you need,"

She had been telling him this more frequently. It gave him a bit of control in their scenes but he would wait for her. She knew it. She also knew if she said nothing to him he would not come even if she had. Neji prided himself on being a well-trained submissive to his Mistress.

The way she pounded into him became wild and Neji knew she was on the brink. He bit into his gag to keep his body from releasing before her and closed his eyes to concentrate. He thought of other things, chores around the house mainly, but his cock still pulsated impatiently. His entire body felt overheated and he wanted to cum. She hadn't.

Tenten dropped the whip to her side. Both hands roamed his back and Neji groaned low in his throat, squeezing his eyes shut as she rubbed his tingling back. Kami, her hands running along his now overly sensitive back thanks to the whip felt too good. He would wait for her.

Tenten panted behind him, her hips driving into his hard enough to shift his body forward despite the ropes. The ropes pulled taunt against him but he trembled in pleasure. Neji vaguely wondered what would happen if anyone managed to catch him during a mission and tied him down. He kept back his chuckle at the thought and heard Tenten almost choke on her spit as she inhaled. Her body fell atop his and Neji relaxed.

He came hard and for several minutes all he could do was shiver against the chair in adore as his cock spat out cum all over the floor, his thighs, the rope, and the chair. Neji worked on controlling his pattering heart and calming his breaths to gain some semblance of control over his body. It took a while but he did not mind especially since Tenten had lay out across his back in full.

Her breasts pushed against his upper back and he could feel her pert nipples on his skin. He felt the way she breathed heavily to regain some control of her body after the orgasm. Her sweat mingled with his and Neji smiled around the gag.

"How are you doing, muffin?"

Neji hummed and she ran her hands through his hair. He quivered at the touch and she kissed the back of his neck in reward. Neji kept the smile on his face as she stood and pulled out slowly. He let out a sigh of joy as it had felt amazing for her to pull out so slow. Neji could not see her sit in front of him because of his hair but he sensed her movement.

She gathered his hair in her hands before shifting it so it fell to one side rather than over his head. Neji kept his eyes trained on her as she tugged off the ball gag. He licked his lips and all ready missed the pressure of the straps along his face. He did not mind the ball gag being gone when Tenten kissed him.

Her lips moved leisurely against his, tongue prodding his when she pushed it into his mouth. Neji closed his eyes, easily getting lost in the sensation of her hot lips against his. She pulled back after some long moments and Neji smiled at her. Tenten ran a hand through his hair, messaging his scalp and Neji leaned into the comforting touch.

He half-closed his eyes, content, and watched her smiling at him. She still wore the strap on and her nipples were still perked in the cool air of their bedroom. Neji said nothing about it though, happy to be in his position with her petting him.

"You're comfortable, aren't you?"

"Exceptionally,"

She giggled at his response. He pouted when she stood. She would untie him now and they would go through the process of cleaning up their bedroom and going to bed. Neji did not mind, really, as it meant he could cuddle against her in bed shortly.

He would miss the feel of the ropes on his flesh. He would want the sting of her hand and the whip against his skin. Neji licked his lips and smiled. She would give it to him again when he asked and like tonight, it would be perfect.

* * *

Hizashi sighed as he stared at his dark ceiling in his lightless room. He had walked into the house a few minutes before ten with Hatomi by his side. The soft smile on her face was different and she had seemed distracted by something. Hizashi had asked her what was going on but she merely shrugged and made a happy sound.

They had seen the empty front room and Hizashi knew mom and dad were tucked away in their room doing _stuff_ he didn't want to know about. He locked the door and went straight to his room as Hatomi almost _skipped_ to hers. He didn't understand why hanging out with Chocho and Sarada would make her so happy tonight as it hadn't before.

Normally she'd come home relaxed, sure, but not this excited. It was like she had discovered something new and she would have something to different to think about. Hizashi wasn't sure if he should be concerned or not.

He shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to get to sleep. Sure he could sleep in but it didn't mean he wanted to be up half the night thinking of what had made his sister so joyful. Of course his brain moved to Midori and Hizashi let out a light groan of annoyance.

Midori. His girlfriend despite the fact he was twelve.

Then again he was a shinobi which in some countries made him a legal adult now. He was technically allowed to go kill people if needed and would be allowed to risk his life on some away missions depending who he and his team would be guarding. Yeah, most shinobi were more mature for their ages and tended to get into relationships younger because shinobi life could be unpredictable.

Even so he couldn't see being with Midori for a long time. It felt nice when she kissed him and he liked holding her hand or hugging her but he didn't see them being like mom and dad. Midori didn't understand the shinobi life. She listened to him talk about weapons, sure, but he could see she wasn't really paying attention to his words, not like the first few dates.

She was also more prone to interrupting him when he talked about training or weapons and Hizashi could see her asking if he did anything besides training one of these days. The answer would be no.

He hung out with Metal, Shikadai, and Inojin still but they mainly walked around Konoha or watched the clouds and talked about whatever. It was nice to be away from the arcade and Hizashi had been surprised to find none of them missed the video games or Boruto all that much.

He also found Midori's life, well, boring. She went to a normal school and experienced the kind of drama that was stupid. Who dated who, who had a crush on who, what teachers were doing what and other stupid stuff. There were groups in normal school, loners, geeks, weirdos, athletic people, and popular people. Midori came from the latter group.

Tonight's date may have been especially bad. Hizashi had asked why the unpopular people were unpopular and Midori had explained it as them being odd. Then she started talking about the kids in the remedial class as being stupid and asking what the point was teaching them as they would never be productive in Konoha. She hadn't understood why he had gone quiet and stayed that way until they came home.

He hadn't let her kiss him and hadn't held her hand. She was worried at first but ended the night by slamming the door in his face. Hizashi found he didn't care.

Shun was in the remedial class because of his visual issues, not because he wasn't brilliant like the rest of them. Midori _should have_ known that, had probably seen Shun there, and it wasn't like they didn't look like each other. Anyone who glanced at Shun could tell his was a Hyuuga and they all knew the only Hyuuga who was in the civilian academy belonged to Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga Tenten.

Hizashi jolted when his alarm went off and started at the light dancing across his ceiling. At least he had fallen asleep. He slapped the alarm and got out of bed with a sigh. It took him a moment to get dressed since he had to wake up enough to read the labels on his drawers so he didn't look so crazily miss-matched.

Hizashi brushed his hair, slung it into a low pony tail and headed towards the smell of food. Mom and dad stood at the stove while Hatomi set the table. Shi helped her but Shun was feeding Miruku. Hizashi yawned hugely before going to the fridge to get the milk and juice. They were all sitting around the table within moments and Hizashi saw dad sit delicately, a light wince coming to his face.

Dad's soft smile came back once he was comfortable and Hizashi spotted mom flushing a bit with a grin on her face. Hatomi _hummed_ lightly beside him while Shi and Shun happily started eating. Oh great. He was the single depressed one today.

"So how was your date, Hizashi?" mom asked.

And now he had the choice of bringing them all down or pretending everything was fine so they would have a good day. He knew it didn't matter when both his parents looked at him and the smiles turned down a notch. Dad raised an eyebrow marginally. Hizashi sighed.

"I'm going to break it off with Midori," Hizashi said.

"Aw, why?" Mom questioned.

"She's too, different, we're too different and not in a good way," Hizashi said.

He _would not_ mention her remarks about Shun's class. He hated knowing his brother probably wouldn't even know since Shun sucked at recognizing people. Shun probably didn't even know Hizashi had been dating one of the popular girls who made fun of Shun for this past month and a half.

"Hn,"

Father's agreement sound. Hizashi smiled as mom shrugged.

"Eh, it happens. You'll find someone," mom said.

"Hn,"

Another agreement sound from father, this one tinged with joy. Hizashi chuckled at his parents and felt a bit of a weight come off his shoulders. He should have known being so honest with them would make him feel better about the situation.

"So, Hatomi, how did hanging out with the girls go?" Mom questioned.

Hizashi stopped eating when Hatomi went a shade of gray across the cheeks and stared down at her food. A small smile had come to her face. Hatomi's reaction had caused dad to look up with a little frown coming to his face. Mom was amused.

"Chocho had surprise training and Sarada stayed home as her father returned to Konoha," Hatomi said.

Hizashi blinked. Hatomi wouldn't have stayed out alone all night. She must have found someone to...oh.

Dad understood as well and his frown deepened. One eyebrow rose and his hands clenched around his chopsticks. Hatomi tucked some hair behind her ear and kept poking at her food.

"Metal found me and we spoke about whatever came to mind the entire night," Hatomi said.

Shi and Shun were gaping at Hatomi now. Mom had a hand over her mouth, trying to stop from laughing. Dad had dropped his chopsticks and Hizashi didn't know whether to laugh, be worried, or tease his sister.

"You stayed out with Metal Lee, alone?" father enquired.

"Hn,"

Hatomi's agreement sound. Father made a sound half-way between disapproval and annoyance. Hatomi narrowed her eyes and stopped blushing. Hizashi wondered if he could make it back to his room in one piece before dad went into crazy protective mode.

"The night went from dismal to enjoyable," Hatomi mentioned.

"Hn,"

Father's cautious sound which meant he wasn't sure what to think either. Mom cleared her throat then leaned her arms on the table, grinning at Hatomi.

"So you and Metal Lee had a date?" mom asked.

Dad inhaled hard and started coughing, choking on his own spit. Shi smirked while Shun started giggling. Hatomi turned a shade of gray Hizashi knew was deep red from her chin to her forehead. She dropped her chopsticks.

"No! Metal and I are friends! Teammates! I am not interested in him like that," Hatomi insisted.

It came complete with the hand wave, wide eyes, and embarrassed rush of words Hizashi wouldn't have understood if he wasn't friends with the guy in question. Hizashi didn't know how to feel about Hatomi potentially having a crush on Metal.

Sure, Metal wasn't their actual cousin but he was like family to them because of Lee-sensei's connection with mom and dad. And yeah, Metal was a good guy: loyal, friendly, nice, and generally not a bad person but he was so _loud_. He was also stubborn and determined which would help him deal with Hatomi.

Hizashi watched as dad got air into his lungs. Dad stared at Hatomi and she stared right back, embarrassed to dad's awe. Mom full out laughed with Shun while Shi had started chuckling. Hizashi started eating slowly and watched as his sister and dad had a sort of staring contest and the rest of the family calmed down.

"Yeah, that's what your dad and I used to say before we started dating," mom said with a grin.

She didn't help the situation. Dad groaned and his head whapped off the edge of the table. Hatomi pushed her plate away before hiding her head on the table, surrounded by her arms. Shun started laughing again while Shi snickered. Hizashi ate some of his rice.

They all jolted when a knock came to the door but dad let out another moan while Hatomi muttered something under her breath. Only two people pounded on the door like what was happening now. Hizashi shrugged before getting to his feet and unlocking the front door.

Lee-sensei stood on the porch, beaming so bright Hizashi was pretty sure the sun would be jealous. Hizashi stepped aside so Lee-sensei could run into the kitchen while yelling about youth. Hizashi pushed the door closed then smiled when Lee-sensei pulled dad out of his chair and began swinging him around.

"Our children are in love with each other," Lee-sensei proclaimed.

"He's my teammate," Hatomi wailed.

Lee-sensei dropped dad who winced when he landed on his ass before giving Hatomi a nice guy pose. Hatomi gaped at him.

"That is what your parents said when they were your age," Lee-sensei said loudly.

Hatomi went deep gray again then hid in her arms. Dad made it to his feet, full on glaring at Lee-sensei who kept smiling and had started talking about youthful love. Mom and Shun kept laughing while Shi ate with a grin on his face. Hizashi snorted and shook his head.

Okay, maybe dating would be interesting.

* * *

Poor Hatomi and Neji. In case you missed it, yes the kinky sex was Tenten and Neji's "date."

Next chapter coming soon. Reviews welcome.


	24. Birthday

**Birthday**

 **Author's Note:** I think I can still finish this off by chapter 35 but...yeah, we'll see. Time-skipping a little bit but not years like in previous chapters. I'll let you know when that happens again.

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Tenten brought the brightly colored envelop into the living room where Neji was curled up in a blanket on the couch and reading. Shun played with Miruku across the floor while Shi relaxed on the flat part of the couch and reading. Hatomi meditated on the other part of the horse-shoe of the couch while Hizashi sharpened a hoard of kunai on the floor in front of the television.

Tenten sat beside Neji and put the envelopes she knew were bills onto the living room table. Neji's eyebrow raised marginally when he caught sight of the orange envelop she had in her hands. It was smaller than typical bill envelopes, more the size of a card, and Tenten all ready had a pretty good idea of what was inside.

It was January first after all and Boruto would be turning thirteen on the fifteenth. It felt like maybe last week that Hinata held the newborn Boruto in her arms while Tenten was still swollen with Hizashi and Hatomi. Tenten smiled as she opened the envelope.

As expected, it was an invitation to Boruto's birthday on the fifteenth of January. The party would start at one in the afternoon at the Uzumaki house and they would have dinner and cake at five. Gift exchange would occur immediately after. All of this was written in Hinata's neat hand and Tenten wondered if Boruto knew or approved of the birthday celebration.

They had to let Hinata know by the twelfth if they were all going or not so she knew how much food and cake to make. Tenten knew Hinata would spend the entire day on the fifteenth and probably part of the fourteenth cooking for Boruto's birthday. Hinata had done the same every year for both her children since they were born.

Tenten saw Neji still had his eyebrow raised at her. She showed him the card and he frowned lightly. Normally going to Boruto's birthday wouldn't be an issue but Hizashi, Hatomi, and Boruto hadn't spoken since the rest of the kids had learned Hizashi was color-blind. Sure, they had gone to Himawari's August birthday party but there were more of Himawari's friends there so it didn't look so weird the cousins couldn't speak much.

Hizashi had avoided Boruto the entire time and Boruto had avoided everyone besides his sister who he stuck to like glue. The other kids had thought it cute Himawari's older brother wanted to be beside her the entire party but Tenten and the other parents knew the reasoning. Boruto had one friend, Mitsuki, and he hadn't been able to attend Himawari's birthday party.

Boruto's party would be worse though. Hinata would invite everyone from the Konoha Eleven and their kids as well as Mitsuki and likely a few other people Naruto might want to be there. Boruto would stick to talking to one person and it might make all the other kids annoyed. Worse yet, the other kids could say no to going to Boruto's party. Tenten hoped her four had more decency than that.

"Boruto's birthday invitation came in," Tenten said.

Hizashi stilled in the middle of cleaning a kunai and the smile dropped off his face. Shi's content neutral face turned into a scowl. Shun bit his lip and stood straight while Miruku squeaked in confusion at him. Hatomi's relaxed shoulders stiffened but she didn't open her eyes or move in any other way.

"Do we have to go?" Hizashi asked.

Tenten heard Neji sigh. She smiled while Neji uncurled his body from its cocoon of blankets to sit properly on the couch and regard his son with a regal and serious look. Hizashi glared. Neji glowered right back but neither backed down. Go figure her kids would be immune to Neji's glares.

"He is your cousin," Neji said.

"So?" Hizashi questioned.

Neji's glare intensified and Hizashi's right eye twitched. Tenten bit the inside of her lip.

"We are blood and despite the fact you may hate him it is considered highly offensive not to attend his birthday celebration. It would be highly offensive to the Hyuuga which you still represent, to Hinata-sama, to Naruto-sama, and most importantly to your mother and me. We all _will_ be going," Neji said.

Tenten still sometimes forgot her kids represented the Hyuuga. They didn't live in the Compound so it was kind of easy to forget but they still had the last name. Tenten hoped the last name wouldn't impede them in the future.

"Besides, it is likely your friends will be there," Neji said.

Hizashi shrugged and went back to cleaning his kunai. Hatomi said nothing but a small frown had come to her face and her shoulders had not quite relaxed. Shi pouted but went back to his book. Shun sat on the floor and pulled Miruku into his arms.

"Fine. But I still hope Team Lee gets a C-rank mission the day before that takes us out of Konoha for a few days," Hizashi said.

Tenten rolled her eyes as Neji huffed. It was better than nothing. They went back to their activities but Tenten could tell there was a certain tension among her kids about attending Boruto's birthday party. It became obvious when all four left the table after dinner to go hide behind the closed doors of their rooms.

Tenten looked to Neji who snorted before starting to put the dishes away. Tenten helped him and soon they sat oddly alone on the large couch. The house was silent and Tenten could pretend she didn't have kids if she wanted. She didn't.

"This entire issue started because of Mitsuki," Neji said in a lower than normal tone.

"I know. If he hadn't made fun of Hizashi when the boys found out Hizashi was color-blind they would've all stayed friends," Tenten replied.

"But he did and Boruto stood up for Mitsuki instead of Hizashi. I do not know why exactly Hatomi is so annoyed at Boruto but I assume it is because of loyalty to her sibling. It seems more than that,"

Neji ran a hand through his hair but Tenten agreed with him. Hatomi had come home shortly after Hizashi had spoken to Boruto for the last time seeming more tense than normal. Knowing her she had wandered off to spy on Boruto and heard some things she would've rather not. If it was Boruto and Mitsuki talking alone, well, it couldn't have been good.

"I know but we both know she won't admit it,"

"Hn,"

"It'll be what, three times a year this awkwardness is going to happen? Boruto's birthday, the Hyuuga mid-year celebration thinger, and Himawari's birthday. They'll have to learn to deal,"

"Hn, but this one will be worse. It is possible many more Hyuuga will be invited to this party as Boruto is turning thirteen. Speaking of, when Hizashi and Hatomi celebrate their thirteenth birthday we will have to extend invitations to the Hyuuga Elder Council as well as some other Hyuuga,"

Tenten frowned. She didn't mind the Elder Council anymore and she always invited Hiashi and Hanabi to the kids' birthdays. Naoki and Yushiro always came too since Neji had been part of the reason the two could live together. Hell, a lot of the Hyuuga who could now marry for love instead of clan tradition stopped by every now and again to show appreciation to Neji.

The Hyuuga Clan had changed in a lot of ways since Hizashi and Hatomi had forced its reform because of her and Neji's pushback. Even so, having so many Hyuuga at Boruto's birthday would make the celebration even more awkward.

"I guess that means we can't combine Metal's birthday with Hizashi's and Hatomi's this year like we've been doing in the past,"

"No, we cannot. I will speak with Lee about it so he does not get so mopey near the actual event,"

Tenten giggled but knew exactly what Neji meant. If Lee found out at the beginning of April their kids wouldn't have one big party then he would be depressed about it for the actual day. They would have to explain to him now. Tenten felt bad for being happy Neji had volunteered but it was because of his clan.

"Well we've got two weeks to mentally prepare," Tenten said.

"Hn which means two weeks our children will likely do this every night and possibly a few nights after depending how the birthday party goes," Neji returned.

He was right. Their kids were as stubborn as them and spoke the loudest through their actions. Tenten groaned. The silent treatment sucked.

* * *

Hatomi took her time as she got ready for Boruto's birthday party. She heard mother shouting at Hizashi to hurry up while father took care of Shi and Shun. Hatomi pulled on a pair of thick black leggings then tugged a pale pink sweater over her head. The sweater fell to her mid-thighs to act as a sort of dress. Its sleeves fell off her shoulders elegantly and ended low on her wrists. It also clung to her but not too tightly.

Hatomi tied an obi around her waist to keep the sweater in place and smiled at her reflection. Sometimes she loathed her over-mature body but other times, like today, she was oddly proud of her figure. Hatomi decided to leave her hair loose but put a white hair band into her hair to keep it away from her face. She put on some lip gloss to tinge her lips a deeper shade of pink and make them shine before putting on her silver heart necklace.

Pale pink ballet-like shoes went on her feet and she tied the ribbons around her ankles. She was ready but she did not leave her room. She did not want to go to Boruto's birthday party.

The last time she had heard his voice, he had been insulting her and her brother. He had agreed with Mitsuki about her being a know it all prideful bitch. Boruto had said she had a horrible personality while Mitsuki had hoped she would be raped to teach her a lesson.

She had not heard Boruto's response to those words but considering Boruto kept hanging out with Mitsuki had said enough. Hatomi sat on the edge of her bed with a sigh. Mother kept yelling at Hizashi and Hatomi activated her Byakugan. Like her, Hizashi sat dressed and ready to go on the edge of his bed. Shi and Shun did as well but father had opened Shun's door and dragged him out into the living room. Shun sat on the couch with a pout.

Father came to her door next and Hatomi released her dojutsu as father pushed open her door. He was dressed in black dress pants and a white sweater with a black vest overtop. His hair had been bound in its traditional going out style, mostly free but for the last few inches being tied together with a white band. He wore a black bandana on his forehead to cover up the old Caged Bird Seal.

"Hn,"

Father's unimpressed sound. Hatomi sighed but got to her feet. She walked past him and he went towards Shi's room. Mother had barged into Hizashi's room and now the two were having a yelling match:

"He's a jerk!"

"So was your father when I met him!"

"Yeah but dad wasn't stupid like Boruto!"

"URG! You're his blood relation! You have to come!"

"I don't want to!"

"Well sometimes you have to!"

"Why?"

"Life!"

Hatomi sat beside Shun on the couch. Shun fiddled with the edges of his blue sweater with his lips turned down into a pout and his eyes watery. His messy brown hair had been tied into a low pony tail to hang to his middle back. For all intents and purposes, Shun had the appearance of a normal Hyuuga. Hatomi sighed and looked towards the blank television as Hizashi and mother argued about the unfairness of life.

Shi joined them after a moment, sitting to Shun's other side and father disappeared back down the hallway. Hatomi did not watch him go.

"Why do we have to go to this stupid thing?" Shun asked.

"As mother said: sometimes life is unfair and we must do something we might not want to do," Hatomi said.

Shun turned to her so Hatomi met his eyes. He still pouted. Shi had a glower on his face, arms crossed over his chest, and leaned down in the couch to show his displeasure.

"Can't you argue against that logic?" Shun questioned.

Hatomi chuckled and shook her head.

"I cannot argue against logic so solid,"

"Try harder," Shi muttered.

Hatomi rolled her eyes at her brothers. They all stiffened when father began yelling. Father _never_ raised his voice unless he had to speak over Lee-sensei or give them direction from far away. But he had raised it now and Hatomi could not help turning on the couch so she could look over the edge of it. Shi and Shun had done the same and Hatomi saw, like her, Shi had activated his Byakugan.

"You will attend this party whether you like it or not. He is your cousin, your blood relation, and who knows? Perhaps his father will beat some sense into him like he did me. Now get your ass moving before I drag you by the hair,"

Father's angry voice raised to such a volume echoed through the house and Hatomi was fairly certain the neighbours might hear. Midori would laugh at her ex getting shouted at and probably mention it when they "unintentionally" crossed paths sometime this week. She had not taken the break up well but Hatomi knew Hizashi did not feel horrid about it.

The silence after father's shout was worse than the yelling. Hatomi saw father still glaring at Hizashi, charka swirling in rage through his form while Hizashi gaped. Mother bit her lip but her eyebrows were still furrowed in frustration. Hizashi nodded.

Hatomi turned off her Byakugan and sat properly on the couch the same time as Shi and Shun did. A few moments later, mother, father, and Hizashi came walking down the hallway. Mother had a weary look on her face, father's expression was closed off and he strode rigidly, while Hizashi walked with his head held high and his eyes narrowed.

There would be another altercation today. Hatomi let out a breath but got off the couch with her younger brothers. Everyone tugged on their winter coats before stepping outside into the cold January air. Mother locked the door and they strode through the snow lined streets towards the Uzumaki home.

Mother held the card with Boruto's birthday money, signed by all of them and Hatomi wished she could erase her signature. Father had glared silently at all of them last night until they wrote their name at the bottom of the card. They all knew father could have kept it up until this afternoon if needed and had given in one by one. Hizashi had been last.

The Uzumaki home was all ready full when they got there a few minutes after one. Hinata-obasan had decorated with orange, white, and black streamers all over the place. An enourmous sign hung along the back wall of the living room which wished Boruto a happy birthday. A table under the sign was stacked with presents while a long table along one living room wall was filled with finger foods.

Inojin, Shikadai, Chocho, Sarada, and Metal were all ready in attendance with their parents. Hatomi spotted Sasuke hovering close to Sakura-sama and wanted to kick him. She saw _Orochimaru_ in the crowd and balked inwardly.

A head of red hair startled her and she repressed a groan at spotting Karin and Suigetsu. Naoki and Yushiro were speaking to other Hyuuga tensely. The Hyuuga Elder council were spread out through the room, chuckling and making jokes as normal but they seemed uneasy as well. Hiashi-sama had a scowl on his face as did Hanabi-sama.

Himawari spoke with Chocho and Sarada on the couch but they looked anxious. Hatomi realized everyone in the room (except for Orochimaru and Mitsuki who were amused) looked overwrought and scowled. She knew why a moment later. Boruto, Hinata-obasan, and Naruto-sama were _not_ in the room. If she listened carefully she could hear Boruto and his father's voices floating in from the kitchen. They did not sound happy.

Hatomi hung up her coat over her father's before making her way towards Metal. She greeted everyone she passed with a little smile and a brief hello but was relieved when she made it to his side. Metal wore dark green pants with a bright green sweater and his orange scarf. He greeted her with a wide grin when she got to him and Hatomi felt her heart flutter. At least she did not flush.

"What happened?" Hatomi questioned for his ears only.

"Ah, Naruto-sama mentioned how it was odd for your family to be late and Boruto said he was glad," Metal said.

Hatomi huffed. She should have known Boruto would keep being a jerk even in front of the important members of the Hyuuga clan and all his former friends. She saw Hizashi had moved to stand with Inojin and Shikadai who were three yards away from Metal who kept a position against a far wall, alone.

"Were you waiting for me?" Hatomi asked.

Metal flushed but nodded once. Hatomi smiled and kept her giggle back. How sweet of him. She wanted to kiss him on the cheek but she had not even held his hand yet. He would fall over if her lips touched his cheek.

Sarada and Chocho spotted her and Hatomi held back her sigh as her friends came to stand with her and Metal. The other boys got the hint and began to close the gap. At least Uchiha stuck by Sakura-sama now.

"Hey," Chocho said.

"Hello," Hatomi returned.

"This sucks," Shikadai muttered.

For once Hatomi could agree with him. Hizashi nodded, a scowl on his normally happy face, and Hatomi did sigh. It would be a long, annoying evening. She spotted Shi and Shun with Himawari, happily playing some kind of word game with her. The adults spoke in low tones as if talking too loudly would cause a disturbance.

Father and mother had joined Hanabi-sama and Hiashi-sama in a corner. No one in their group spoke, merely watching all the adults and like her, wishing they could go home. Hatomi shifted to stand a bit closer to Metal and her hand brushed against his. No one else noticed but his cheeks did color pink slightly.

Finally Boruto, Naruto-sama, and Hinata-obasan came into the living room. Hinata-obasan had damp eyes while Naruto-sama and Boruto both looked annoyed. The appearance of the birthday boy and his father did nothing to calm the mood. Naruto-sama began dragging Boruto around the room to say hello to everyone and Hatomi frowned.

Their circle opened a bit when Naruto-sama came towards them with a forced smile. Boruto did not even bother to put a happy expression on his face but did continue to sulk with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Hey everyone," Naruto-sama said.

Sentiments were returned and everyone wished Boruto a happy birthday, well, _almost_ everyone. Hizashi stayed silent. Hatomi bit the inside of her lip as Hizashi kept glaring at Boruto and kept his arms crossed over his chest. Boruto, a few inches shorter and easily at least twenty pounds lighter, glowered right back.

Hatomi jolted when father appeared beside Hizashi and placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. Hizashi looked up at father then huffed.

"Happy birthday," Hizashi said.

There was such a lack of enthusiasm in the sentiment Hizashi could have easily been mistaken for Shikadai. Father hummed and Naruto-sama let out a breath.

"Thanks," Boruto said, still frowning.

"Yes, yes, happy birthday Boruto,"

Hatomi had to concentrate hard to keep back her scowl when Orochimaru came over with Mitsuki. She did see father's eyes narrow more than usual but Boruto visibly brightened. Hatomi shifted to stand closer to Metal and her hand rested against his, side to side. He gulped but his eyes focused on Orochimaru and Mitsuki.

"Neji-kun, how are you?" Orochimaru said.

"Well," father returned curtly.

Orochimaru chuckled and Hatomi stiffened when his amber eyes landed on her. She had not meant to show her distress so obviously but she did not like the snake-man. The fact he had done such horrible experiments in the past, abandoned Konoha, killed the third, and sought revenge after the Village were atrocious. Naruto-sama should have killed him or at least restricted him heavily.

"Hatomi-chan, how nice to see you again," Orochimaru said.

"Likewise," Hatomi got out.

Orochimaru snickered again. Mitsuki grinned at her as well and Hatomi hated it. Obviously father did as well as he shifted closer to her, almost behind Metal. Hizashi sneered at both men but father did not punish him.

"I have this feeling you don't really mean that," Orochimaru said. "But I appreciate your attitude. It's so much more amusing than other people's."

Hatomi had no retort to this so kept silent. Orochimaru kept smiling at her and Hatomi was glad her father, brother, and Metal were close. She might not need the back-up but knowing she would not be alone made her feel better.

"Hizashi, is it? My, my, you're tall for your age. You're the color-blind one, correct?" Orochimaru asked.

Hizashi's face went pale then an angry shade of red. A few Hyuuga had perked up at Orochimaru's rather _loud_ pronouncement. Father had not told the Hyuuga Clan about Hizashi's issue.

"Orochimaru," father said.

His voice was low in warning, eyes wide for the full effect of the white eyed stare, and chakra flaring in warning. Naruto-sama scowled before taking a step deeper into the circle, between Orochimaru and Hatomi.

"I'm just curious," Orochimaru said. "And you know if you allowed me to do some looking into it—"

" _No one_ will be looking into the Byakugan, least of all _you,_ " father broke in.

Hatomi noticed everyone but Metal, Mitsuki, Boruto, Hizashi, and the three adults had left the circle. Hatomi did not blame him, especially since many white eyes were on the group. The strain had become so thick Hatomi could virtually see it. Orochimaru's giggle did not help matters.

"Oh Neji-kun, so uptight," Orochimaru said.

Father huffed before placing a hand on her shoulder as well as Hizashi's and guiding them away from Orochimaru. Metal followed quickly enough and father did not relax until he was with other people he trusted at the other side of the room. These people included Shikamaru-sama, Temari-sama, Choji-sama, and Ino-sama.

"So," Ino-sama said.

Mother started to walk over and Hatomi let out a breath when father's hand came off her shoulder. He stayed close though, protecting, but Hatomi didn't mind.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru-sama muttered.

Hatomi kept her laugh back but was glad when Hizashi smiled lightly. She almost jumped when Metal stood close enough their hands were brushing again. Hatomi kept her smile to herself and did not remove her hand.

"Well this is awkward," mother said.

"Tell me about it," Temari-sama said. "It's going to be almost as bad when you guys have the party for Hizashi and Hatomi, right?"

Hatomi winced. Boruto would have to come to that celebration as well. Hizashi huffed.

"We don't _have_ to invite—" Hizashi started.

"Boruto, yes, again: he is _blood_ relation. Mitsuki and his father? No, Hell no," father said.

They had one boon then. Hizashi smiled and nodded to their father. Hatomi felt Metal's pinkie finger curling around hers and had to keep back her giggle. Metal had pulled their hands back so they were hidden between their backs and father's front. So long as father did not look down, they would not be caught.

"Only what, six more hours left of this party to go?" Choji-sama questioned.

"Yep, troublesome," Shikamaru-sama mumbled.

Hatomi sighed inwardly. She glanced up at her father and he nodded at her. Hatomi strode away from the adults and towards the table laden with finger foods and punch. Metal followed her but Hizashi walked towards their group of friends.

"We will not be celebrating our birthdays together this year," Metal said.

"Hn, the Hyuuga Clan will be in high attendance," Hatomi told him.

He nodded then poured a cup of punch. Hatomi was about to grab her own but he handed her the one he had poured. Hatomi smiled lightly. He picked up a plate and she followed him along the table, punch cup in one hand.

Metal placed miso glazed eggplant on the plate but she knew he did not like it that much. Oh he would eat it as Lee-sensei believed all food should be enjoyed but Metal knew eggplant was one of her favorites. Metal gathered food for _her._ Harumaki and clams were gathered as well and Hatomi happily followed Metal.

"Perhaps we can have a party later?" Metal questioned.

"Hn, the two of us you mean?" Hatomi returned.

He almost dropped the plate then went beat red. Hatomi chuckled at him when he met her eyes. He nodded quickly and Hatomi allowed a larger smile to grace her features.

"Aw, Princess and Loser have a date,"

Hatomi turned her head and saw Mitsuki standing a yard behind her. He had heard the last part of their conversation and Hatomi wanted to hit him, hard. Now she knew how Hizashi had felt the day the boys had found out about Hizashi's issue.

"Metal is not a loser," Hatomi said.

Mitsuki snorted. She saw Metal tense and frown out of the corner of her eye. She also spotted father stiffening even though father was across the room.

"He can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu," Mitsuki said.

"Nor can his father but Rock Lee is a war hero unlike _your_ father who abandoned the village, killed the Third Hokage and performed illegal experiments," Hatomi said.

Mitsuki snarled. Hatomi turned to face him and stood her ground, lifting her chin a quarter of an inch while narrowing her eyes. She thrust her shoulders back and stiffened her leg muscles to give her the superior stance she wanted. Metal had put the plate down on the table and taken half a step closer. Father had not moved, yet.

"My father has been pardoned of his mistakes," Mitsuki said.

"Pardoning does not mean he regrets them or would not do them again given the opportunity," Hatomi said.

Mitsuki's jaw clenched. Hatomi raised her eyebrow in challenge and felt Metal standing exceptionally close to her. She could feel the heat of his body against her back and kept back a giggle wanting to bubble out of her throat.

"If you weren't a girl, I would hit you," Mitsuki said.

Hatomi scowled.

"My gender has nothing to do with my prowess as a shinobi," Hatomi said.

Mitsuki snickered at her.

"Right, and what are the women who participated in the fourth shinobi war doing? They're all homemakers, even your mom. Hardly any of them were mentioned in any important way in the recapping of the war or in class. Your gender has everything to do with your prowess as a shinobi and in oh, about a decade you'll either be a housewife like all the other female shinobi out there or fat and useless like Anko," Mitsuki said.

Hatomi kept her jaw from dropping by sheer willpower alone. She clenched her fists and widened her eyes to give the full effect of the pupil-less gaze. Her lips turned into a snarl and she allowed chakra to leak out of her form. Mitsuki snorted. He opened his mouth.

"That is enough," Metal broke in.

Hatomi did not shift to look at her teammate and a moment later, Metal had stepped up beside her. Metal's lips had turned down into a scowl and his eyebrows were furrowed in annoyance.

"Sakura-sama still does shifts at the hospital and saves people's lives daily. Temari-sama is an important political figure for both Suna and Konoha. Ino-sama is part of the interrogation unit and also gathers information on top secret missions. Tenten-sama goes out on specialty missions and is the only one in Konoha Naruto-sama will trust to gather weapons for shinobi use. Karui-sama is another political figure for two countries. Yes, Hinata-sama may be a housewife but it was her choice.

"All of them played enourmous parts in the war. Without Sakura-sama, Naruto-sama and Neji-sama would be dead and we may have lost the war. Tenten-sama used the Bashosen to defeat a revived criminal and later was the sole reason other criminals were sealed away. Hinata-sama encouraged Naruto-sama to keep fighting. Ino-sama relayed directions to the entire war party. Do _not_ assume kunoichi are useless," Metal said.

Hatomi had never assumed it would be possible to like Metal more but she did. She wanted to hug him but refrained. She did notice they had gathered a bit of a crowd. Mitsuki noticed as well but said nothing. He did give a final huff before turning away. Hatomi let out a little breath as Metal nodded once; glad the altercation of sorts was over.

He took up the plate and smiled at Hatomi. Hatomi smiled back and together they headed to some chairs in the corner. No one came over and Hatomi happily ate the finger food with Metal at her side.

Perhaps mother, father, and Lee-sensei were correct. She enjoyed Metal's company and he seemed to enjoy hers. They could be more than friends and teammates. She would not tell them yet. She wanted to enjoy this pre-more than friends time first.

* * *

Hizashi wanted to fiddle with a senbon but kept his hands at his sides and ignoring the belt of hidden scrolls he wore under his sweater. Mom had offered him bracelets but they seemed girly to him. Besides, the belt suited him better. Plus he could hide it under longer sweaters like this one.

He scowled when Mitsuki went up to Hatomi and Metal who were at the table of food. Hatomi glared at Mitsuki after Mitsuki said, well, something to the duo. Hizashi read his sister's lips just fine: "Metal is not a loser." Hizashi wanted to walk over to protect his sister from the snake-bastard's evil spawn but stopped.

Metal had taken a step forward and tensed behind Hatomi. Across the room, father had stiffened as well. Hizashi relaxed, knowing Metal could take care of Mitsuki if it came down to it. He would still watch though. The conversation carried on and Hizashi scowled when Mitsuki implied Hatomi would be nothing more than a housewife. He was about to go over and make Mitsuki a pincushion but again, Metal stood up to the plate.

Hizashi grinned at Metal's speech then blinked when Hatomi smiled after Mitsuki had left. There was something _different_ in Hatomi's smile and Hizashi hadn't figured it out yet. He didn't really know if he wanted to.

"Yeah, Hizashi would look great with short pink hair," Shikadai drawled.

"What?" Hizashi asked.

Inojin snickered along with Chocho while Sarada had a grin on her face. Okay, so he hadn't been paying attention to the conversation for the last few minutes. It wasn't his fault he felt obligated to look after his sister like she wanted to look after him.

"Just saying you'd look good with short pink hair," Shikadai said.

"I got that and no, no I wouldn't. Pink doesn't work with my skin tone. I think blue would be more my color," Hizashi said.

Shikadai smirked while the girls giggled and Inojin studied him, serious. Hizashi blinked as Inojin grinned and nodded.

"Hizashi's right, blue would be more his color," Inojin said.

"Pink would be more embarrassing," Sarada said.

"Real guys wear pink," Hizashi mentioned.

This got an eye roll from Sarada but a laugh from Chocho. Inojin shrugged off the comment and Shikadai said it was all too troublesome. Hizashi glanced back to his sister to see her sitting awfully close to Metal. Their knees were touching and Hatomi had tilted her body towards Metal's, pushing out her chest a bit and lowering her eyelids.

It hit Hizashi a moment later what the difference in Hatomi's smile meant, why she sat so close to Metal, and why she had been staring at him more often.

She _liked_ Metal.

Hizashi let out a groan before he could stop it and rubbed his forehead. His friends looked at him in curiosity but Hizashi ignored them. Hatomi liked Metal as more than a friend and by the looks of things; Metal had _no_ issue with this.

Okay, sure, they had made fun of Hatomi the day he decided to break up with Midori last month but he hadn't expected them to be _right_. But she had gotten completely embarrassed about the whole situation which made sense now. Hizashi didn't know whether to laugh or go hide in a corner somewhere.

"Now what?" Shikadai questioned.

"Nothing, nothing," Hizashi got out.

He wouldn't tell his friends about this, not yet anyway.

"It looks like you had an epiphany," Inojin said.

Hizashi shook his head and remained quiet. Eventually his friends dropped it but not before giving him weird looks. Hizashi didn't mind. They chattered about what their parents were up to, what kind of training they did, and other stuff before being interrupted by Hinata-obasan announcing dinner was ready.

It was served buffet style of course. All the fingers foods had been moved to take up a smaller table while the main feast had been placed along the bigger table. Hizashi stayed with his friends while everyone got in line. Soon everyone sat in groups around the room having moved chairs to suit their positions.

Hizashi and the others ended up beside Hatomi and Metal. Hatomi looked disappointed in the fact but Metal greeted them enthusiastically. Hizashi didn't really taste the food on his plate and didn't really recognize it mainly because he was paying more attention to what was going on around him.

It sucked too because Hinata-obasan always made the best food. But right now, dad was speaking to a few of the Hyuuga Elders. Normally it wouldn't be a concern but dad's shoulders were tense and his jaw was tight. The Elders, normally really happy people, were serious. Hizashi had a bad feeling about this.

Mom sat beside dad but wasn't eating. She wasn't smiling either and she looked like she wanted to fill the Elders in front of her with sharp pointy objects. Great. Now he really wanted to leave this stupid party.

If Orochimaru hadn't asked so _loud_ about Hizashi's issue than the Elders wouldn't be talking to dad right now and life could be normal or something. But no, Orochimaru had to make a big deal out of crap all ready figured out and stick his nose places where it didn't belong. No wonder Mitsuki was so annoying.

"You off in space again?" Shikadai asked.

"Sorry," Hizashi muttered.

He did notice Shikadai looking towards dad, mom, and the Elders. Shikadai's frown shifted downwards a bit more and he let out a breath. Light eyes focused on him for a few moments and Hizashi waited.

"Troublesome," Shikadai said.

Hizashi smiled. Only Shikadai could wrap up an entire situation in one word emphasized perfectly. Shikadai was also the only one who knew exactly why Hizashi kept spacing out, well, at least when it came to the Hyuuga clan.

Hizashi picked at his food but didn't have much of an appetite. Seeing the Elders talking with dad had made his stomach coil into a huge knot no food would get by. Hizashi did force food into his throat so it didn't make anyone worry.

 _Finally_ the cake was brought out. It was a three-tier slab coated in white frosting and decorated with medium gray swirls. Hizashi knew the inside would be vanilla with chocolate fudge in the middle. Hinata-obasan had placed thirteen candles in a pattern on the cake and lit them all carefully before allowing Boruto the chance to blow them out.

Boruto did so without enthusiasm but people still clapped. Hinata-obasan gave him the knife to make the first cut and Boruto did with a sigh. Cake was passed out and Hizashi took his piece even though he had no interest in eating it. He couldn't concentrate on yummy cake when the Elders were staring at him so intently.

Hizashi stayed beside his sister and friends. Himawari joined them which meant Boruto and Mitsuki tailed along behind. Hizashi really didn't want cake now.

"Hatomi-chan," Himawari said happily.

Hizashi watched his sister smile lightly at their little cousin as Himawari promptly sat in front of Hatomi with a smile. Boruto let out a breath before sitting next to his sister on the chair. Mitsuki took up the next empty spot which put him in front of Shikadai. Talk about awkward.

"Are there going to be this many Hyuuga at your birthday?" Himawari asked.

"Likely," Hatomi replied.

"Or more since Hizashi and Hatomi have Byakugan," Shikadai said.

That was an insult and Boruto scowled. Mitsuki huffed but a sly smile came to his face.

"Does it really count if Hizashi can't see color most of the time anyway?" Mitsuki asked.

 _Stupid_ Mitsuki. Sarada, Chocho, and Himawari didn't know. Sarada gaped at him and Chocho stopped eating.

"You can't see color?" Sarada questioned.

"It does not matter," Hatomi broke in. "Naruto-sama re-tested Hizashi and he passed."

"Only _after_ your father practically begged him," Mitsuki mentioned.

Hizashi knew dad wouldn't have begged. He would have made Naruto-sama see the logic in letting Hizashi keep being a shinobi.

"Dad didn't beg," Hizashi said.

Mitsuki snickered and his lips curled into a sneer. Hizashi wanted to punch him, fill him with senbon then cut off all his tenketsu. Then Hatomi could have at Mitsuki. Mom and dad could have whatever was left.

"How do you know?" Mitsuki taunted.

"How do you?" Hizashi retorted.

Shikadai muttered his word and everyone looked at him.

"I know because of my dad. Neji-sama didn't beg," Shikadai said.

"He's right," Inojin added. "Mom said Neji-sama made really good points on why Hizashi should keep being a shinobi. I especially like the fact Hizashi will be a combination of both his parents: you know the close-range Hyuuga attacks with the mid-range attacks of both his Hyuuga heritage and his mother's insane aiming ability. Plus he will probably be able to strike down an enemy at eight hundred meters because Byakugan and his mom's aim. He'll be the most well-rounded shinobi _ever_ in Konoha's history."

Hizashi didn't know what to say. All of it was true, yeah, but to hear it coming from a friend and someone a few months younger than him was weird. It did work well to make Mitsuki's jaw drop in wonder and his eyes widen. Boruto scowled.

"Hizashi,"

Hyuuga Hiori, one of four females on the Elder Council stood near them. Hizashi stopped from gulping, sighing, running a hand though his hair or any other nervous habit that threatened. He stood, put his cake on the chair and followed Hiori where the rest of the Hyuuga had gathered at the other side of the room.

Non-Hyuuga watched the scene with curious expressions on their faces. Hizashi wanted to make a joke of it, to say something funny but he didn't have the words. Of course the Hyuuga would want to get this over with as quickly as possible. Hizashi stood near his father once he got close enough.

"It what Orochimaru questions true?" Hiraku enquired.

Hizashi nodded. The Elders and other Hyuuga present exchanged looks. Damn Orochimaru and his stupid soon.

"We would have never known if not told," Hiraku went on.

As the actual oldest of the Elders, he had been elected spokesperson and head. Normally he had a quip for every occasion but not today. Hizashi didn't blame him really but it would've been nice to do this later, or better yet, _never_.

"On that note, we would like you to challenge Boruto to a spar to happen immediately," Hiraku said.

Hizashi wished he had more control of his expression like dad, Hatomi, and Shi. At least he wouldn't look like a fish out of water in front of the Elders, other Hyuuga and his parents.

"Wha?" Hizashi got out.  
Hiraku chuckled. The other Elders smiled at his confusion and the other Hyuuga, well, they looked relieved. Mom had her head tilted to one side and her eyebrows knotted together. Dad's eyes were slightly wider than normal and one eyebrow had gone up. Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama were trying to hide amused looks but it didn't work.

"It is tradition for any Hyuuga to be tested on their thirteenth birthday, that is, to spar against another member of the clan who is around the same age. Normally it would be Main House against Branch House but that's archaic. You and Boruto should be around the same skill set and technically you are both "outsiders" in some sense. So you would be a good test," Hiraku explained.

Hizashi needed to sit down. Too much information was swirling around in his head. Hyuuga tradition was always covered in shadows and unless a person lived in the Compound, most of it wasn't seen. Hizashi suddenly felt out of some exclusive loop and wondered if he should be worried about what else he might miss.

He wanted to laugh at the House separations being considered archaic since the abolishment of it had happened a little over a decade ago. He wanted to be angry at being called an outsider because his mom wasn't a Hyuuga. But he didn't want to complain too much. He would get to beat the crap out of Boruto _legally_ and without being yelled at.

"Done," Hizashi said.

Hiraku grinned then made a formal announcement. Boruto huffed but Naruto-sama said it was clan tradition and could take place in one of the training rooms in the Academy. Hizashi put on his coat with everyone else to make the walk through the snow and towards the Academy.

The building looked weird all dark but Naruto-sama turned on the lights as the group walked in. They strode down the polished hallways which were way too quiet and made it into one of the huge rooms meant to be demolished by practicing shinobi.

Hyuuga and non-Hyuuga alike lined up along the walls while Hiashi led Boruto and Hizashi to the middle of the room. Hizashi couldn't wait to beat Boruto and show him what a so-called reject Hyuuga could do.

"We would prefer if you both stuck to traditional Hyuuga taijustu," Hiashi said.

Hizashi didn't mind. Boruto didn't have the Byakugan so Gentle Fist was basically mote. Sure Boruto could guess at tenketsu points or ram chakra into a person's body in the hope of messing them up but it wouldn't have the same effect.

"But do feel free to use other movements," Hiashi said.

Hizashi waited as Hiashi explained the tradition to the non-Hyuuga who nodded. No one complained and Hizashi kept the grin off his face. Boruto kept frowning, unimpressed with being dragged out of his house.

"We will begin when I move away and say the word," Hiashi finished.

Hizashi took up a Gentle Fist fighting stance as did Boruto. Hizashi noticed a few differences in the stance but knew it came from Hinata-obasan learning traditional Hyuuga moves while dad had picked it up on sight alone. It meant Boruto's style tended to be more rigid while dad's allowed room for improvising. Hizashi was good at improvising.

"Begin,"

Hizashi's world burst into color as he moved. Boruto's blond hair, blue eyes, and the orange shirt he wore made him a bright target but Hizashi wasn't interested in Boruto's clothing colors. No, he switched his vision to look through Boruto's skin to the tenketsu points below. Bright blue, glowing, and coiling rapidly: so much chakra for a shinobi to have thanks to Boruto's Uzumaki blood.

Hizashi struck but so did Boruto. Hizashi spotted chakra burst out of Boruto's fingertips but shifted his arms out of the way enough that Boruto missed the intended tenketsu. Boruto was not so lucky to see Hizashi's chakra shoot out or know where his chakra points were. Judging by Boruto's smirk, he thought he'd hit Hizashi's tenketsu.

Hizashi let Boruto continue to trade blows with him, making Boruto miss _just enough_ that Boruto wouldn't tell the difference. He didn't hit any of Boruto's chakra points, not yet, but he did block with enough force that Boruto winced with every hit. Hizashi noticed all the other Hyuuga had Byakugan activated but no one said a word to non-Hyuuga about what Hizashi was doing.

Dad, Hatomi, and Shi had the smallest smirks on their faces, only detectable with Byakugan. Mom could tell simply because she knew dad so well. So could Lee-sensei by the purse of Lee-sensei's lips. No one else could though, not even Naruto-sama.

Naruto-sama did look to Hinata-obasan who was biting her lip. Himawari winced with every strike but Boruto ignored his family. It probably helped Hizashi had made Boruto shift enough so Boruto's family was at his back. Hizashi kept the smile off his face. Time to finish this.

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms! Two strikes,"

Both hit home on the tenketsu in Boruto's chest. Boruto winced in pain but Hizashi wasn't done.

"Four strikes,"

Four more bright blue lights went out in Boruto's body and the flow of chakra began to slow. Boruto would carry the coin-sized bruises for a few days at least. It would be a good reminder of today.

"Eight strikes,"

Boruto gritted his teeth but was too slow to block. Hizashi moved too quickly. He pushed down the joy at besting Boruto. He could celebrate later.

"Sixteen strikes,"

Now Boruto had entered the realm of not being able to manipulate chakra for more complex moves. Hizashi wasn't finished yet.

"Thirty-two strikes,"

He had taken thirty seconds so far. Not bad considering he split his time between traditional Hyuuga style and mom's style of fighting. Hatomi would've hit this point at twenty-two seconds.

"Sixty-four strikes,"

Done. Now Boruto couldn't manipulate chakra for even the most basic attacks and the crinkle of his eyebrows told Hizashi Boruto knew it too. The last set of strikes had forced Boruto back half a dozen yards and left Boruto panting heavily, barely able to stand. Hizashi decided to hang back to see what his cousin would do.

"How? I hit your tenketsu," Boruto got out.

"No you didn't. I moved enough so you didn't," Hizashi said.

Boruto gaped.

"I might have monochromacy but you're chakra blind which makes the entire concept behind the Hyuuga Clan fighting style useless," Hizashi said.

There. Now everyone who needed to know knew. Now the other adults could talk to other people about it if they wanted and people could see how he could still be a shinobi even without being able to see color all the time.

Boruto snarled and came at him with kunai in his hands. Hizashi snorted but held his ground. Boruto attacked but Hizashi easily blocked every strike with more Gentle Fist. Boruto's wrists became weak and he ended up dropping his kunai. Hizashi delivered a double palm to Boruto's chest and stomach which sent Boruto flying again.

This time Boruto landed on his side and rolled three yards before coming to a stop gracelessly. Hizashi held his position and kept the smirk off his face. This was too easy. His want to smirk evaporated when Boruto stood and made the tiger seal.

Chakra flared in Boruto's solar plexus then spread out through his entire network, opening every point Hizashi had closed. Hizashi kept his jaw locked in a neutral expression but spotted his Hyuuga relatives gaping. Dad's eyes had narrowed and Hizashi knew he focused on Naruto-sama.

Apparently Naruto-sama's ability to unblock blocked tenketsu had been passed down to his kids. At least Boruto's chakra was still blue and not the red of the Kyuubi. Hizashi lunged forward while Boruto kept powering up, breaking through each block tenketsu in order. He would hit him again if he had to.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu,"

Crap. Four more Boruto's appeared, all with the same chakra paths and colors as the original. Hizashi skidded to a stop as the Borutos got into a fighting stance then attacked as a unit. Not good.

Hizashi back flipped out of range but the clones followed, surrounding him in a circle. The Hyuuga Technique which would help him was the Vacuum Palm or Mountain Crusher or even Revolving Heaven but Hizashi wasn't even close to perfecting any of them. He wasn't Hyuuga _Tenten's_ son for nothing.

Hizashi's right hand went to his back and he felt the solid wood of his Bo in his palm a moment later. His left hand went to his hip and the cool steel of three senbon, one between his fingers, came to his left hand. Hizashi let loose with his senbon, striking one of the clones across the throat. It popped out of existence with a wince.

The remaining four took a bit of chakra so Hizashi couldn't tell which the real Boruto was. It didn't matter. Hizashi swung his Bo around one-handed and smacked two of the four. Both flew through the air and popped away as they did. Hizashi whipped his Bo around again, this time taking it up in his left hand as well as his right and shifted forward.

He hit the clone first but Boruto two seconds later. No. _Not_ Boruto as the last one turned into a log. Replacement Jutsu. Something flickered behind him and Hizashi spun in a mock Revolving Heaven, bringing his Bo up and spinning it rapidly in both hands to create a shield. Kunai and senbon clattered away and Hizashi saw the explosive tag on a kunai. He jumped up as it went off and smirked.

Hizashi refocused his eyes and spotted Boruto hiding behind one of the fake trees in the field. There was a line of them at the farthest end and Boruto planned to use them for cover. Stupid cousin, nothing escaped the Byakugan's vision.

Hizashi wouldn't let Boruto in on the secret yet and watched as Boruto pulled a chakra string. Ah, the clones that dispersed had placed tiny scraps of paper on the ground for summoning. Hizashi was insulted. Bukijutsu and Fuinjutsu were _his_ technique to master.

A plethora of senbon came at him but Hizashi easily knocked them aside. He ran forward, towards the trees and made note of the chakra wire Boruto had wrapped around the trees and the left on the ground. He made sure not to step on it and saw Boruto scowl. Hizashi inwardly grinned.

Boruto was within range.

Hizashi flung his Bo aside, much to the surprise of Boruto and everyone in attendance. Okay, so he might show some of his best techniques in this match which would suck come chunin exam time but to Hell with it. He would learn so much more by summer.

"Twin Rising Dragons,"

Boruto dropped his chakra strings, releasing way too much chakra with them, as his eyes went wide and his lips parted. Hizashi flung out his scrolls and began to let his weapons fly. Boruto had to dodge from behind his tree as Hizashi's kunai with exploding tags had blown it up. Senbon followed Boruto's path and a flying axe made him skid to a stop where he was scratched in a dozen places by a bunch of shuriken. Boruto winced but rolled.

Hizashi forced him to a stop with kunai then led Boruto out of the trees. Boruto obvious forgot where he had put his traps but Hizashi not only saw every one, he saw the seal on every small scrap of paper. Boruto yelled when his trap went off under his foot, causing an explosion to rock through the training field.

Hizashi landed and rolled up his scrolls as Boruto stayed on his back, right pant leg completely scorched while his skin had gone red from his foot to his knee. He was out of chakra from the attempt with the strings and traps, burned, and done. Hizashi recalled his weapons as Sakura-sama, Hinata-obasan, and Naruto-sama ran towards Boruto.

Hizashi de-activated Byakugan with a little frown but collected his Bo. The Hyuuga were talking among themselves but mom and dad looked relieved. His friends looked stunned while Mitsuki looked pissed. Orochimaru, yeah, the interested little smile on _his_ face made a shiver run down Hizashi's spine.

"That was awesome," Inojin said when Hizashi got close enough.

"Thanks," Hizashi said.

"Good combination of Hyuuga techniques and your mom's fighting style," Hanabi-sama told him.

Hizashi forced the heat off his cheeks. To have the twenty-seven year old next clan head compliment a fighting technique was great. Amazing really and Hizashi almost wanted to ask for more. He didn't.

"What about Revolving Heaven?" Hiashi-sama asked.

"Hizashi had not mastered it yet but he is learning it," dad answered.

"Good," Hiashi-sama said with a smile.

"And we know Hatomi has all ready perfected it and has moved onto perfecting Vacuum Palm and Mountain Crusher," Hanabi-sama said.

Hatomi hummed in agreement. She would be learning the Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist by spring, perfecting it by the summer. Then Hinata-obasan would teach her how to combine her water release with the Hyuuga techniques. Hizashi had earth and fire release, Hatomi was earth and water. Dad planned to teach them some earth release techniques this year too.

The party, such as it was, died down after that. Everyone said their good-byes to Naruto-sama and left in groups. Hizashi left with his family, waving to his friends as they all parted ways. Lee-sensei picked up Yusa-sama in a piggy back position then challenged his son to a race home. They took off to Yusa-sama's protests and Hizashi caught Hatomi lingering on Metal's retreating form, a little frown on her face.

"That was kind of fun," Shun said.

"Hn," Shi agreed.

"Yeah, the fight was anyway," mom said.

Hizashi laughed when Hatomi and dad gave their agreement sounds. Hatomi blinked, as if thinking of something, then scowled as she looked up at dad. Dad raised his eyebrow at her.

"Does this mean Hizashi and I will spar each other at our birthday celebration?" Hatomi asked.

Hizashi gulped. He hadn't even _thought_ of that. Who better to spar against than their own twin? Yeah their might be some other Hyuuga kid around their age but the Elders would want to see how the two "outsiders" did against each other, right? Besides, they all knew Hatomi was all Hyuuga technique. Dad's frown sealed it.

"Likely. My father and uncle sparred on their thirteenth birthday while I sparred with Hinata-sama on hers," dad said.

"Who did you spar with?" Shun questioned.

Dad winced.

"No one as I was Branch House and the test was only for the Main House," dad replied.

It was weird to think dad had grown up in an entirely different generation of Hyuuga. If dad hadn't done what he had then Hizashi, Hatomi, Shi, and Shun would wear a bandana everywhere to cover up the Caged Bird Seal. Hizashi was glad dad and mom had inflicted the reform.

"Right," Shun muttered.

They walked quietly for a while and Hizashi couldn't help but glance at dad's bandana. He hadn't been the last Hyuuga sealed. No their clan was huge and there were many, many other Branch House kids born after him. Uncle Hiashi had sealed them all, one at a time, until the Fourth Shinobi War.

At least the war had distracted the Hyuuga from the barbaric tradition but once Konoha had been rebuilt and settled...Hizashi shuddered. He didn't want to think of all the kids sealed before he and Hatomi were born. Hell, some of them were maybe three years older than them. It made going to the Compound awkward since Hizashi and Hatomi should've been sealed. If mom and dad hadn't pushed back, they would have been.

A lot of the sealed Hyuuga kind of hated dad for waiting for so long to push back. It was like he was the only Hyuuga who could or something which wasn't true. Any Branch House could have pushed back and tried to get rid of the Caged Bird Seal. Dad just had stronger, well, something. It probably helped he was always on good terms with Hiashi-sama.

Hizashi sighed and looked towards the ground. Gray buildings against a deeper gray street with white flecks floating towards the ground, all against a black sky. He supposed it should be pretty but Hizashi didn't see it. His world was never pretty, not really.

He was glad to get home though and strode into the warm house with his family. Coats were put away, shoes left on the rack to dry off and everyone kind of stood in the hallway between kitchen and living room for a moment. Miruku squawked at Shun and Hizashi watched as Shun bent with a grin to pick up his cat.

Shun the free one. The one without a dojutsu and who could pick what he wanted to do the rest of his life. The one who could have a pet, not be judged by the elders, and not have to fight his twin on his thirteenth birthday. Hizashi felt jealous of his younger brother and remedied this by saying he was tired.

No one stopped him when he continued down the hallway and into his room. He shut the door behind him and stared at his pale gray walls, darker gray floors with the white carpet and deeper gray dressers. Each drawer had a piece of white paper with dad's neat handwriting on it to tell him what color of clothing the drawer had.

Hizashi's eyes landed on Inojin's abstract drawing from the day back in autumn when the group split. A few other paintings hung on the wall, all by Inojin and all in shades of gray with white and black tones. Hizashi activated his Byakugan.

His walls became light blue, the floor a rich brown, and his dressers a comforting oak color. His carpet stayed white and the gray scale pictures Inojin gave him kept their tones. Hizashi's comforter was dark blue with lighter blue swirling patters. His sheets were light blue as were the pillow cases. It all matched because mom had decorated for him.

Blue, the color of the sky, the color of blue jays and the rare Morpho butterflies, the color of Boruto's eyes. Hizashi decided he hated the color blue. Luckily it disappeared when he deactivated his Byakugan. If only others things were so easy to get rid of.

* * *

Long chapter is long. I'm not even sure how it got kind of sad at the end. Maybe all that blue? Ah, bad joke is bad. Reviews welcome and the next chapter will be coming soon.


	25. Budding

**Budding**

 **Author's note:** *whistles* Yes, this _is_ all made up on the fly. ;) Also, apologies on not getting this up sooner. Work has been killing me slowly.

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Chocho's March 20th birthday marked change. The air warmed around that time, the winter thaw was mainly gone, and even some flowers started to bloom. Hatomi enjoyed the spring and summer, even autumn to some extent. The cold winter days with training in the snow were gone and she looked forward to be able to leave her jacket behind.

According to the magazines Sarada and Chocho forced onto her, spring also meant the time of romance. Hatomi had no idea what a change in weather had to do with love or the strong emotions associated with it but gave up on deciphering the magazines her two friends loved a long while ago.

What Hatomi _did_ know was she now looked forward to training. They would not be fighting in the snow or becoming sopping wet before the first hour was up. They would have more light on their walks to and from the field. Generally it would better overall.

The missions would not be so difficult either. Finding food and camping in the woods was atrocious in the winter but she had been excited to leave the village on c-rank missions last month. Guiding an important person home was better than finding a lost pet or doing snow removal.

Even better she could show off her figure for Metal more. He had not made a move beyond lightly brushing her hand with his every so often and Hatomi was getting impatient. Of course, she could make the first move but she wanted to be courted by someone worth her time. She hated feeling the need to be courted since she despised sexism but the feeling remained. She wanted Metal to sweep her off her feet. So far he had barely lifted her.

Hatomi sighed.

She adjusted the straps on her bra again and scowled as she looked at her reflection in the full length mirror in front of her. Thankfully the fitting room came with the mirror on the inside. Some shops had become stupid and put them outside the little room which Hatomi hated for this particular clothing shopping.

Training meant all her bras were wearing out quicker than normal. She had to throw out one yesterday then realized with some dismay she had two left. No kunoichi could survive with two bras, especially on a team with Lee-sensei. She had to change her bras every other day so she did not smell of sweat.

"Well?" Sarada asked from the other side of the door.

Hatomi pulled the strap around her chest higher but it did not make the bra any more comfortable. The material dug into her back and her breasts were popping out over the top. Her old bra, a ratty looking off white scrap of fabric, was more comfortable. The tag on the old one matched the new: D34.

It was impossible she had grown _again_. Hatomi bit her lip before pulling on her old bra then her shirt. Sarada and Chocho stared at her when she came out of the fitting room. She shook her head and they blinked.

"You grew _more_?" Chocho questioned in wonder.

Hatomi felt the heat come to her cheeks and shrugged. She could not _help_ it. If it was up to her she would have stopped at a C cup, like mother: enough to be distracting but not overly stated and uncomfortable.

"Do you need a fitting, sweetie?"

Hatomi turned to the voice and spotted a woman wearing simple clothing and a name tag. Hatomi nodded. She was ushered back into the fitting room and instructed to take her shirt off. Hatomi did so without hesitation even though the door was left wide open so Sarada and Chocho could look in. The woman placed a measure tape around Hatomi's chest once Hatomi lifted her arms.

"Okay, your under-bust measures thirty-one inches which means your band size is thirty-six."

Hatomi kept her scowl at bay. She had likely gained more muscle in her upper body than she had realized.

"And your bust measures thirty-six inches. When we subtract the two, you get five inches which puts you into a double D."

 _Double_ D. The Hell was her body doing to her? She did not want a larger chest. She did not want to grow immense breasts like Hinata-obasan. She much preferred mother's proportioned figure or Hanabi-sama's less predominate curves.

"Do you girls need a fitting as well?"

Both nodded. Hatomi put her shirt on and sulked off into the main part of the store. She went to the racks and began combing through the bras while trying not to simply stalk off in frustration. Not even thirteen and she was in a double-d. Hatomi prayed to Kami this would be _it._

"There you are," Chocho said.

Hatomi turned to see Chocho looking pleased and Sarada pouting.

"C38," Chocho said. "That's a cup-size up from last year."

"A36," Sarada said.

She had her arms crossed over her breasts and Hatomi wished she had Sarada's problem.

"If I could give you a cup-size or two I would. Then we would all be Cs," Hatomi said.

Sarada put a little smile on her face and they began the hunt. Hatomi found it difficult to find a bra in her size, never mind trying to find four like Chocho and Sarada had. Hatomi wanted to hit something.

"Oh, sweetie, you'll have to come over here for larger sizes," the sales woman said.

Hatomi stared. There was an entire _section_ dedicated to those with bigger breasts. Hatomi noted right away it did not have the same sort of variety as the other, much larger section of the store. Hatomi strode into the proper area of the store and sighed.

"Woah, G? That's insane," Chocho said.

"Hn," Hatomi remarked.

"This is cute," Sarada tried.

She held up a white lacy bra and Hatomi had to admit, it was cute. It was her new size too. Hatomi found some other neutral colored bras then checked the price tags. She balked. They were easily more expensive than her old bras. Unless all prices had gone up...

"How much are yours?" Hatomi questioned.

"Two hundred ryo, why?" Chocho remarked.

Damn it all.

"Mine are three hundred ryo," Hatomi muttered.

Both gaped at her and Hatomi tried to stop from pouting but it did not work. Her four new bras would cost 1,200 ryo, as much as she made on a single d-rank mission. She loathed it but had no choice. She needed the new undergarments as running without would be much worse.

"Stupid hormones," Hatomi mumbled.

She headed towards the counter with her friends in tow but they said nothing. Hatomi would not know what to say either if the positions were reversed. She paid her exuberant fee and left with her friends once they were finished. At least her shirts had not gotten _too_ much tighter.

"Maybe you're done now, you know? Didn't your mom say she basically stopped puberty around your age?" Sarada enquired.

"Hn,"

"I mean they can't get any bigger," Chocho said.

Hinata-obasan wore an F cup. Hatomi's breasts _could_ get bigger. How in the world she would be able to fight would be a mystery. Her breasts all ready made her have to modify some of her techniques, never mind the fact she had to wear a sports bra and a regular bra during training or run with her hands cupping her breasts. Binding hurt too much to even attempt once she got into a D cup. Perhaps she could cut them off.

Hatomi followed her friends down the street and into a store they liked to frequent. Spring fashions were out which meant short sleeved shirts, skirts, and shorts. Hatomi lost count of how many of her shirts and leggings had been thrown out thanks to simple over-washing and over-use. Thankfully she had been saving all her money for this shopping trip.

Hatomi grabbed a basket and placed six pairs of tights in her size in it. At least her going out clothing had not sustained the same damage as her mission clothing. Hatomi put in a few more tights, all in black bringing her up to ten pairs. Better to be prepared.

Shirts would prove to be difficult. The tunic style she favored seemed to be going out but she did find two potentials: one in white and one in light pink. Hatomi found her size then walked with Chocho and Sarada to the fitting rooms. Hatomi tugged the white shirt over her head and blinked at her reflection in the mirror.

It was too tight across the chest. Well, not _too_ tight but there were the straining lines beginning to happen. The shirt was a medium. A large would be too long and would not cling properly to her waist like she wanted. It could be remedied by her obi but there would be a lot of extra fabric around her waist she would not need.

"Hatomi?"

"I believe I need a large," Hatomi said.

"I'll be right back," Sarada said.

Hatomi took off the ill-fitting white shirt and tried on the pink one. It took came with the same straining lines across her bust. Hatomi spotted white fabric over the top of her fitting room and took it down. The large fit well in the breast but as expected it was too lose around her waist. Father would be happy it was a bit longer at least. Hatomi sighed.

"What's wrong?" Chocho questioned.

"A medium is too tight in the chest but a large is, well," Hatomi said.

She opened the door and her friends blinked. Sarada went around to her back and pulled the extra few inches of fabric at the waist so the shirt looked as it should. Stupid awkwardly shaped body. No wonder Hinata-obasan wore baggy clothing or had to get clothing either custom made or in stretchy fabric.

"And now I'm glad I have my figure," Chocho said.

"Hn,"

"We just need to find some in a clingy fabric, that's all," Sarada said.

Hatomi felt odd leaving the store with nothing. The next store proved no better nor did the next. By the fourth store Hatomi found a single shirt to her liking in rose. The sixth store had one in white and another in gray. Store ten had a medium purple one. She had _never_ taken this long to find four shirts.

Hatomi sat on the bench beside Sarada and tried not to let her shoulders slump or her eyes to go too damp. She kept her grip tight on her bags and bit the inside of her lip to keep from crying out in annoyance. At least the tights all fit. She still needed another shirt as all of her old ones had _something_ wrong.

A rip, a tear, a stain, or simple color fade combined with too thin fabric from being washed too many times. Shinobi sweat a lot with all the activity they did so clothing rarely lasted long. Her obis were made out of tougher cloth at least. She had to replace one and it would be relatively simple.

Still. She needed another shirt but she was exhausted. She was almost out of money too and hated it. The extra charge for her bras and the bit higher price tags for her shirts had almost ruined her. Well, she would have to go over her clothing again to see what she could keep using.

"You guys want to get a snack?" Chocho asked.

Hatomi nodded though she likely would not order anything. Apparently clothing became expensive the larger a person got. As if her figure were determined by her exclusively. If it were the case she would have stopped blooming a while ago. At least everything else made her content.

"Oh dearie, if you keep slouching like that you'll be hanging around your knees in no time,"

Hatomi turned to the voice to see an older civilian woman talking to _her_. Hatomi had no idea what to say, even when the woman sauntered over and began to get her to straighten up. As if she needed advice on how to stand properly...ah, she had been slouching a bit. It was not her fault she was berating herself.

"Thank you," Hatomi muttered and ducked out of the woman's arms.

"And smile more, sweetie, a pretty thing like you should show off. And if you frown like that too much you'll get wrinkles before your time,"

Hatomi gave the woman a smile and started power-walking away. Sarada and Chocho followed after her with their eyes wide. Chocho had a hand over her mouth to cover up a laugh while Sarada openly gaped.

"So, apparently being pretty with big boobs means _everyone_ is allowed to talk to you whenever they want," Sarada said.

Hatomi inclined her head and was glad the older woman could not keep up. They ducked into the restaurant Hatomi and Metal had been together at and Hatomi happily sat in a chair and put her face in her hands. She did _not_ want all this stupid attention.

"Oh, hello again! Do you want a green tea and a slice of strawberry vanilla cake?"

Hatomi nodded, still covering her hands as Sarada and Chocho got out their orders. Perhaps she was _too_ conspicuous. She could not help it in any way which made the situation worse. She heard cups being placed down and took her hands away from her face to look up at the waitress. The waitress smiled.

"Where's your friend? The boy in the green spandex?"

Hatomi groaned and put her head on the table, encircling it with her arms so she could cover her blush. Sarada and Chocho started giggling. The waitress said something, Hatomi was no longer paying attention, and left. Hatomi did not bother to look at her friends.

"When did you come here with Metal?" Sarada asked.

Hatomi did not want to admit it had become a bi-weekly sort of meeting. Of course, they said it was to discuss training and was entirely between friends out loud and to anyone who asked but Hatomi knew the meetings were more. Metal would not admit it to her yet.

"Why do you come here with Metal?" Chocho questioned.

Hatomi did not lift her head out of her arms. She did not want to admit to the other two she _liked_ Metal as more than a friend and saw him as a potential mate. Perhaps not a husband...Hatomi envisioned a little girl running around with her eyes and Metal's thick dark hair in a green tutu and shouting about youth. She moaned.

"Hatomi?" Sarada enquired.

Hatomi peeked over her arms to see Sarada looked as worried as she had sounded. The Uchiha was biting her lower lip, fiddling with a napkin, and had her eyebrows furrowed. Chocho had a frown on her face and was not looking at the menu.

"I may have developed a _miniscule_ crush on him and we _might_ meet here bi-weekly under the excuse of discussing training," Hatomi said.

Sarada fell out of her chair. Chocho face-planted. Hatomi sighed and went back to hiding.

"You? Metal? Oh my Kami," Sarada got out.

"Hn,"

Better to keep to mono-syllable sounds.

"That's, that's, he's so _loud_ though," Chocho said.

"Hn,"

"And green," Sarada told her.

As if she did not know. Metal wore green and orange in combination. He _clashed_ horribly most of the time but the spandex, well; Hatomi did not mind the tightness of the spandex entirely.

"Your dad is going to have a stroke," Chocho said.

Father would faint if he ever found out. Of course, father liked Metal as a nephew and god-son and he loved Lee-sensei as a friend. But to have the potential to be _related_ to the Green Beasts, well, it would be another story entirely. Hatomi heard plates being placed down but did not lift her head.

"When did this happen?" Sarada questioned.

"I do not even know," Hatomi replied.

Sometime during training, obviously, perhaps the time he had taken his shirt off and she had reciprocated. She could not deny Metal had a kind, caring, sweet, if a bit over-zealous nature. He would protect her if she needed but also knew she could take care of her wellbeing alone. He made her happy. Father would kill him.

"You didn't have a crush on anyone in the Academy," Chocho said.

She knew. No one piqued her interest during the Academy days. Odder still, Metal had always been close to her as a friend, cousin, and play-mate. Why she noticed _now_ of all times the potential he had to be more...

Hormones. Her damned hormones were kicking in and making her want to look at boys differently. Hatomi wanted to turn back the clock by a year so she would not have to go through puberty. She heard Chocho and Sarada start on their cakes but did not lift her head. It felt better to hide.

She did enjoy the fact her friends did not ask her why she liked Metal. They either understood her or knew Metal would be a good potential boyfriend. It could even be a combination of both. Hatomi did not care so long as the two kept quiet.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Sarada questioned.

Hatomi shrugged. She rather enjoyed waiting for Metal to react. It would make her feel nice and would keep her from over-thinking the entire situation. Plus father would not have a stroke, heart-attack, or kill anything. She could at least give him a few more years before he had to go beating boys up in her name.

She heard tapping and activated a partial Byakugan to see it was Chocho flicking her fork onto the empty plate in front of her. Chocho also stared towards Hatomi's uneaten slice of cake. Hatomi nodded and Chocho grinned before pulling the cake towards her. Sarada said nothing but did look thoughtfully towards the window.

It was easy for Hatomi to adjust her vision to look outside. Metal and Lee-sensei were walking with Yusa-sama through the street, talking as boisterously as normal while Yusa-sama smiled happily. If an elegant, refined woman like Yusa-sama could handle both Metal and Lee-sensei than certainly she would have no issue.

Hatomi deactivated her Byakugan with an inward groan. Her brain kept fast-forwarding to her and Metal being a full-fledged couple and again she cursed the chemical changes her body happened to be going through. She could do nothing to stop the changes.

"He does have a nice butt," Sarada said.

Hatomi raised her head out of her arms to see Chocho choking on cake and Sarada wordlessly smacking her friend on the back. Chocho got the cake down the stared at Sarada in wonder. Hatomi would not agree with Sarada out loud but she did enjoy when Metal bent in front of her to do toe touches.

"This is Metal we're talking about, right?" Chocho questioned.

"Yeah, and he's got a nice butt," Sarada answered.

Hatomi kept her smile back as Chocho shook her head.

"Hizashi has a nice butt," Chocho said.

"Well yeah, er," Sarada said.

Hatomi kept staring at her friends, wishing she could close her mouth or make her eyes go back to their normal shape instead of bugging out of her head. Hatomi had always known Hizashi had fan girls but had _not_ expected her two friends to think he looked attractive. They had known him for their entire lives, long enough to see how, how, Hatomi hid again. Her brother would be a prize-catch.

"Sorry Hatomi," Sarada said.

"Ya know, beside Shikadai and Inojin, we really can't talk about any of the guys without it somehow effecting Hatomi," Chocho said.

"Yeah, you're right. Hizashi's her twin, Boruto's her cousin, and Metal's her crush," Sarada said.

Hatomi sighed but leaned her head against her arms. Chocho had finished Hatomi's slice of cake but Hatomi did not mind. She had no appetite anyway between the expense of new clothing, the fact she had gained another cup size, and the fact her friends now knew of her crush.

"Too bad Hizashi's the cutest of them," Chocho said.

Hatomi raised her eyebrow as Chocho beamed. Sarada flushed. Hatomi managed to keep from gaping like an imbecile this time.

"I mean, all that pretty long hair, his golden eyes, his squeezable butt, and he looks like he would be really well cut under his clothes, you know?" Chocho questioned.

Hatomi blinked. Sarada kept _blushing._ Chocho kept smiling and describing Hizashi's best features but Hatomi was not listening. She was watching Sarada who kept getting more embarrassed but not the kind of humiliated from talking to a friend about her blood relative. No, the same kind of mortified Hatomi got thinking about Metal.

"You have a crush on my brother," Hatomi said.

Chocho stopped talking as Sarada's eyes became wide behind her glasses. Her face stayed bright pink. Chocho shrugged and shook her head.

"He's cute but I wouldn't say crush," Chocho said.

Hatomi huffed at Chocho. She scratched the back of her head in confusion.

"Not you, Sarada," Hatomi said.

"Oh, ooooh," Chocho said.

Sarada whapped her head off the table and hid behind her arms. Hatomi did not know how to take this news. Sarada was her best friend and Hizashi was her twin brother. Any civilian girl would be excited about the news as it would mean her best friend might become a sister through marriage.

A part of Hatomi giggled happily at the same thought but the larger part glared. Sarada was _Uchiha_ and Sasuke would become part of the Hyuuga clan. Hatomi also knew Hizashi had feelings deeper than friendship for Sarada but Hatomi _would not_ tell Sarada this, not even if she asked.

Father might be annoyed at Metal and Hatomi wanting to date but he would be _livid_ , literally, if Sarada and Hizashi became an item. Father hated Sasuke unconditionally and wanted nothing to do with helping the Uchiha expand the family name. No, Hizashi could not find out Sarada liked him as Sarada could not find out Hizashi liked her.

"Okay, see, I can see Sarada and Hizashi being a couple but I just can't wrap my head around you and Metal," Chocho said.

Hatomi kicked her under the table and Chocho yelped. Sarada kept her head down and Hatomi inwardly frowned. She loathed the fact she would not be telling her best friend something important but she despised the thought of her father going on some kind of insane spree to keep them apart. No, Hatomi keeping Sarada and Hizashi from dating would work better even if she hated herself for doing it.

* * *

Neji huffed when pounding came to his door but knew he could not ask someone else to get the door. Tenten, Shun, and Shi were at the shop while Hizashi was out with Shikadai and Inojin. It left Neji alone with Miruku and the cat looked at him as if he was slow for not answering the door so she could go back to her nap.

Neji tucked the corner of his book down then placed it on the table before getting to his feet and heading towards the front door. If the knock came from Metal then he would be free of the boy quickly since Metal would be asking where Hizashi was. If it came from Lee, well, he might have a bit of an issue getting rid of Lee depending what the other wanted.

For once, Neji could have an afternoon entirely to himself and he had wanted to relish in it. He loved his children and his wife but sometimes he needed to be alone to think. Apparently thinking time had been too much to ask for.

Neji opened the door to reveal Metal and stared at the mini-Lee for a few moments. Lee and Yusa stood near the gate, as if encouraging their son and Neji wondered at this. As typical with any Green Beast, he did not have to wait long.

"Hyuuga Neji, sir, may I have the express delight of asking your daughter, Hyuuga Hatomi out on a date?"

Neji kept staring at the boy, glad he had gained enough control over his facial features in the years he knew Metal's father that he did not drop his jaw, widen his eyes, or faint like his body wanted him to. He did clutch the door-jam a little hard and his heart pounded in his chest. He wanted to punch Metal until he landed on his father but the motion would hurt Yusa and he liked her.

"Why?" Neji asked.

Metal stared at him for a few moments with his shoulders sagged forward, his mouth wide, his eyes ready to fall out of his skull, and his entire posture screaming confusion. Metal straightened then turned towards his father. Neji's eyes flicked to Lee in time to see Lee give his son a nice guy pose. Neji inwardly groaned. Metal nodded.

"Hatomi is the epitome of intelligence, courage, loyalty, and beauty! She in brilliant in mind, wise beyond her years, and brighter than the noon-day sun in Suna! My heart beats in a joyful crescendo when she is near and I would like the honor of wooing her so as we may burn in youth together,"

Neji kept his groan back. He felt a light throbbing starting behind his eyes and rubbed his temples. Of course Metal would develop a crush on Hatomi. He had nothing against the boy, really, but they were _twelve._ Hizashi had not considered Midori a girlfriend, a fling of sorts, but Neji knew Metal would consider Hatomi a girlfriend. Hatomi would not be dating before she turned, well, sixteen if he had his way. He likely would not.

He did not mind the thought of Hizashi dating as it had not been serious for him. But for Hatomi to date a teammate, a friend, a person she had grown up with...

"No," Neji said.

He shut the door in Metal's face before Metal could entirely process Neji's word. Neji did not move away from the door but he did cross his arms over his chest and waited. He got to a count of sixty before more pounding came to his door. Neji opened it, this time to reveal Lee. Metal was sobbing in his mother's arms. Neji did not feel the least bit horrid. Ah, well, perhaps a little. He would not tell Lee.

"Neji, why did you crush my son's spirit so quickly?" Lee questioned. "I thought you cared about Metal like one of your own! I thought you loved him like I love your children! I thought—"

"Lee, they are twelve years old," Neji broke in.

Lee stopped talking, his mouth left open, one finger pointing towards the heavens to emphasize his points and his entire body stiff. He blinked. Neji raised an eyebrow at him.

"You and Tenten were,"

"Fifteen,"

"But Sakura and Sasuke,"

"Were eighteen as Sasuke never returned her feelings until after the War. No one we knew became a couple until they were fifteen or older, yes, they all had crushes long before that age but a crush is much different than love and you know it,"

Neji kept his face impassive as Lee sighed and nodded. He perked up again.

"Midori was not Hizashi's girlfriend. Yes, he took her out, yes they held hands, but he did not return her feelings and I am fairly sure she simply wanted in on the Hyuuga name. I expressed the fact he was too young to Tenten as well but she tends to win when senbon and certain parts of my anatomy are involved,"

Lee sagged. Neji let out a breath. He could not help but sigh as Metal came running up to him with tears running down his face.

"I will prove to you I am worthy of dating your precious daughter—" Metal began.

"Laps around Konoha on your hands, pinkie fingers, or any other creative way you can think of doing them will not help," Neji interrupted.

Metal fell over, would have if Lee had not been there to catch him. Neji raised his eyebrow and kept his arms crossed over his chest as Metal had some kind of mental break-down in his father's arms. Neji was not concerned. Green Beasts had a tendency to get over these types of break-downs quickly.

As expected, Metal stood by his own power a moment later. Lee cheered him on. Neji felt the throbbing in his head get stronger. He might need a nap after this.

"Then I will prove my feelings for her in a different way!"

Nice Guy pose. Neji blinked and Metal took off, shouting to the entire world he would show how worthy he was of the "perfection known as Hyuuga Hatomi." Neji could do nothing but stare. He scowled when Lee chuckled at him, patting him on the shoulder a few times.

"Ah, the joys of Youth,"

"Vacuum Palm,"

"GAH!"

"Hn,"

* * *

Tenten rubbed her eyes. Nope. It didn't make the vision of Metal bent on his knees in front of her, face almost on the ground but holding up a huge bowl of what smelled like herring soba go away. Tenten rubbed her forehead under her bangs.

"Hi Metal,"

Metal looked up enough to see her then frowned. No, no, Metal was pouting. Why Metal had decided to kneel on the doorstep of her home with an offering of herring soba was beyond her thought process at the moment.

"Ah, may I speak to Neji-sama please?" Metal asked.

Neji. Tenten turned to see her husband had frozen in mid-step going between the kitchen where he had been putting away the last of the dishes, to the living room where all four of their kids looked on in question.

"Darling?" Tenten questioned.

The fake sweetness in her voice made Neji shiver because he could hear the threat of her turning him into a pincushion if this was because of something absolutely ridiculous. With Metal involved, it might be.

"Hn,"

He said no more. He didn't need to. She'd been with him so long she knew this was his upset sound, the sound he used when he didn't want to tell her something that was annoying him. It also meant whatever the Hell was up his butt about Metal he wanted to resolve alone.

She caught his glance towards Hatomi and it hit her like a Primary Lotus. Metal had a crush on Hatomi. Metal had asked Neji if he could court Hatomi. Neji had said no. Now Metal was proving his worth. Tenten leaned against the doorframe and groaned.

"Neji, you're wanted," Tenten said.

She strode away from the open door which left Neji no choice but to walk towards Metal. Neji stepped out of the house and shut the door behind him. Tenten collapsed onto the couch but said nothing to the four sets of pupil-less eyes staring at her. She had never hated how her kids got her curiosity until today.

"Why's Metal here?" Hizashi asked.

She noticed Hatomi's cheeks had colored _slightly_. Tenten hardly managed to keep her gasp back. Hatomi _liked_ Metal back! She was going to turn Neji into a pincushion. The jerk.

"Your dad will explain soon," Tenten replied.

She'd make him. Hatomi bit her lip and Hizashi caught it. He stared at his sister for a moment and a frown came to his face. Shi hummed and raised an eyebrow. Shun didn't pick up on the visual cues so blinked with a painfully confused look on his face.

Neji came back in after a moment, carrying the bowl of herring soba. His face was neutral as he put the soba into the kitchen. He managed to knock away the dozen senbon she chucked at him and caught them all so they didn't leave holes in the wall. Tenten was impressed, even more so that none of her kids had jumped at her violent reaction.

"So, _darling_ , why was Metal here offering you your favorite food?" Tenten enquired.

He winced. Silver eyes flicked to Hatomi who was staring at the ground and fiddling with her fingers. Hizashi's eyes had gone wide and his lips were parted slightly. Shi snorted but made no other motion.

"Metal would like my permission to court Hatomi," Neji said.

Tenten had never heard Hatomi groan like she did now. Tenten turned to watch as Hatomi fell onto the flat area of the couch, face down, and hid her head with her arms. Hizashi, Shi, and Shun were staring at their normally unfazable sister with looks of wonder.

"I said he could not have it so he is attempting to convince me," Neji went on.

Another un-Hatomi-like sound issued from Tenten's daughter and Tenten stared. Either Hatomi did not like the thought of dating Metal or Hatomi _wanted_ to date Metal. Tenten sat back down on the couch and rubbed her suddenly aching head. She watched as Neji came over cautiously. He didn't offer her the senbon back. Smart man.

"Okay, so why are you okay with the fact Hizashi dated Midori but Hatomi can't date Metal?" Tenten asked.

Neji shrugged as if the answer was obvious. Tenten spotted Hatomi raise her head out of her arms and blink. A familiar frown came to Hatomi's face and Tenten wanted to laugh.

"Hizashi did not date Midori," Neji said.

"News to me," Hizashi mentioned.

Tenten kept back her giggle at Hizashi's grin. Neji deadpanned and sighed. He shook his head.

"I mean, you did not have feelings for Midori and she did not have feelings for you. Therefore the relationship of sorts was merely testing the waters and meant nothing to either of you. I am certain Metal has strong feelings for Hatomi like she for him—"

This was as far as he got. Hatomi was on her feet a moment later with her entire face beat red.

"Teammates!"

Hatomi pointed at her father as she shouted this. Shun started snickering. Hizashi coughed to hide a laugh and Shi smiled. Neji raised an eyebrow.

"Your mother and I said that many, many times," Neji said.

Hatomi made another unholy sound and fell back on the flat part of the couch. Neji crossed his arms over his chest and looked back at Hizashi who stared at his father with an amused grin.

"As I was saying, the relationship between you and Midori was inconsequential. The potential relationship between Metal and Hatomi will not be. Frankly, they are too young for any kind of serious commitment," Neji said.

Okay, so Neji had some kind of logic behind denying Metal. Tenten didn't really get it and it didn't look like Hizashi did either.

"Wait, what?" Hizashi asked.

Neji rubbed his temples, head lowered and eyes closed. He shifted his stance so the weight was mainly on his right foot and glared at the floor for a few moments.

"Your sister and Metal are _not_ ready for a serious relationship at twelve years old. Neither are _you,_ in case any of you get the idea I am saying this because it is Hatomi," Neji said.

Oh. Now it made sense. Tenten might hate to admit it but she agreed. The kind of relationship Metal wanted with Hatomi was way too soon for either of them. Midori had been nothing but a greedy fan girl Hizashi thought was cute. Feelings weren't involved like they would be for Metal and Hatomi. Besides, the two were teammates.

"Right, okay, plus the whole teammate thing, yeah, that might not end well," Hizashi muttered.

"Teammates," Hatomi bemoaned into the couch.

Tenten kept back her chuckles but shifted to pat her daughter's back. She spotted Hizashi shake his head but her eldest son didn't say anything to his distraught sister. Shi and Shun kept snickering but went to play a video game. She nodded to Neji who let out a little breath and sat beside her on the couch. He handed her back her senbon then yelped since she poked him with one.

"Could've told me earlier, dummy," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

His pouting sound and Tenten had to keep her laugh back. Hizashi went about sharpening his weapons and inspecting them on the ground in front of the patio doors while Hatomi continued being miserable on the couch. Neji leaned against Tenten and she massaged his scalp. He likely needed it after dealing with Metal and the fact his daughter had a crush.

"So, when are you going to give Metal permission to woo Hatomi?" Hizashi asked.

She should've known it wouldn't have been over so easily, not since her son had gotten her personality traits. He even had the same coy grin on his face. Hatomi made another unhappy sound from her position while Neji sighed.

"When I damned well feel like it," Neji said.

It was in his "case closed, don't argue" tone. Too bad she was immune to the tone as was Hizashi. Her son was too much like her. She had to swallow her laugh as Hizashi kept sharpening a kunai as if he hadn't asked an embarrassing question and gotten a closed off response.

"Uh-huh, well we are going to be thirteen in a month," Hizashi mentioned casually.

Tenten coughed to hide the giggles threatening to explode. She saw Neji glare at Hizashi who, unfazed, studied his kunai to make sure he had sharpened it enough.

"Hizashi," Neji warned.

Hizashi shrugged and put his perfect kunai to a side before picking up a dull one. He met his father's eyes and smiled, understanding Neji had the power to make his life miserable. Neji hummed.

"Just sayin'," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

Warning sound. She glanced at Hizashi and he went back to work, quietly, but had a smile on his face. He knew (like her) to stop poking at Neji when he made _that_ sound. Kami she loved her kids.

"Training will be interesting," Shi said.

"Hn,"

Another warning sound. Shi didn't turn around as Shun kept giggling. Miruku sat by Shun, back to the couch and Tenten knew the cat was paying attention to what Shun did on the screen. After a few long minutes, Hatomi shifted to sit properly on the flat part of the couch.

Tenten saw her daughter still had a blush on her cheeks, faint but there, and her shoulders were sagged. Her eyes were damp too and Tenten wondered if it was because Hatomi was upset about not being able to date Metal or if something else bothered her.

"First I find out I gained yet another cup size which graduates me into an entirely different section of the store where bras are a hundred ryo more expensive. Then I discover this extra growth requires me to buy a larger size of shirt in a particular material so it fits me properly which by the way, took _hours_ to do and cost more. Now everyone I care about knows about Metal and me," Hatomi said.

Her lower lip was shaking. Hizashi looked up at his sister, lips parted and eyes wide. Shi and Shun paused their game to stare at her, Shun with the same expression as Hizashi and Shi with a single raised eyebrow and a frown, the same expression Neji had on his face.

Tenten pulled Hatomi in for a hug and she came. The poor girl, no wonder she was so miserable. Tenten had no idea what to say. She'd never dealt with breasts that didn't want to stop growing and if Hatomi was in a bigger cup size it meant she was now a double d. Maybe Hinata could come have dinner with them one of these nights.

"Well, on the plus side you're not on your monthly thing," Hizashi said.

Silence until Hatomi snarled and kicked her brother in the face. Tenten rubbed her forehead and heard Neji snort (amused) at their son. Shi shook his head in embarrassment for his older brother while Shun scoffed and went back to the game. Even Miruku gave Hizashi a look which questioned Hizashi's sanity.

"Dolt," Hatomi said.

Hizashi rubbed his nose and forehead from Hatomi's kick but had a smile on his face even though Hatomi glared at him from her regal pose on the couch.

"Hey, it got you out of your funk and that's all I ask," Hizashi said.

Tenten giggled when Hatomi stared at her brother, studying him as if he was a new move she had to learn. Finally she huffed, smacked him upside the head, and strode off, the picture of grace as normal. Hizashi chuckled as Hatomi went down the hallway and towards her room. The door shut gently a moment later and a few moments after that, music began to play.

"I assume we do not go talk to her," Neji said.

"Especially not you," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

"And Hizashi, don't say a word to anyone about any of it. I'm pretty sure Metal's done enough on his own but no need to make your sister more embarrassed than she is, got it?"

"Got it. Besides, I'd like to _live_ to see thirteen, thanks,"

"Shi and Shun, same to you two,"

"Hn,"

"No worries,"

Tenten smiled at her boys. She was proud of them, even Neji, and glad they hadn't totally flipped when Hatomi revealed her crush on Metal. It probably helped they knew Metal and liked him. Tenten decided not to mention it and went back to enjoying playing with her husband's hair. At least life would be interesting.

* * *

Hehe, poor Hatomi. And yes, I am aware Tenten's birthday is March 9 and I skipped it. I've also skipped Neji's birthday more than a few times. We're focusing on the kids now, people, with a bit of kinky stuff every now and again.

As always, reviews welcome.


	26. Thirteen

**Thirteen**

 **Author's Notes:** Omg, the kids are _thirteen_. I'll maybe give them three more years before I end this. I'm not sure yet. The ending is still a ways off so don't worry too much, kay?

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

And yes, I do just copy paste the warning message because I'm lazy. We've been through this. *winks*

* * *

Thirteen years ago today she had been nothing but a crying newborn that did not open her eyes until the nineteenth, well according to mother and father. Hatomi had her doubts about children who had Byakugan not opening their eyes right away. It would be too strange for their family to have a genetic mannerism.

Regardless, Lee-sensei had decided to take it easy on her and Hizashi today. They had no training scheduled even though it was a weekday. Lee-sensei also went on to say this would be the only time he would do it. Hatomi knew it was because the Hyuuga intended to have her fight Hizashi today to see where they were skill-wise.

The fight was why she stood in front of her closet, wondering what to wear. She had to dress up for the clan so her normal training attire would not do but she had to be able to fight her brother which meant she could not put on a spring dress and call it a day. Besides, a good portion of the dresses she bought for spring and summer last year did not fit her in the chest so well. They scooped more than she wanted or were too tight depending on the material.

Hatomi frowned at her wardrobe choices. Technically she could appear casual since Boruto had done so at the beginning of the year. Even so, she wanted to show the Hyuuga Clan she took her family name seriously. Boruto was not a Hyuuga as he took his father's name of Uzumaki and did not have the Byakugan. He had started to learn Gentle Fist like her father had through watching so Hinata-obasan had taught him properly.

She had to make a better impression. Pity she had little to wear which would make her look good and be able to fight. She could not even borrow anything from mother as it would not fit in the chest. Hatomi went through her closet again with a scowl.

Finally she settled on a pale lavender summer dress which cinched at the waist and belled around her hips. It ended at her knees, had a high collar which buttoned up and lacked sleeves. She tugged on a pair of black leggings under the dress and pulled on a pair of black non-shinobi sandals. They were technically dress shoes but she could fight in them when needed.

Hatomi brushed out her long hair then pushed a purple head band onto her head. Her hair ended a few inches above her knees and she smiled at her reflection in her full length mirror. A bit of lip gloss and she was finished. Hatomi stepped out of her room to see Hizashi coming down the hallway towards her.

He had dressed up for the occasion as well wearing black dress pants and a white tee shirt with a swirl design in shades of gray on it. Over the tee shirt was a black vest which had no sleeves and closed with simple black buttons. The buttons stopped at mid-chest which left a good part of the tee shirt exposed but not enough that Hizashi looked too casual. He also wore a pair of black sneakers on his feet and had left his hair loose for the occasion.

"This is stupid," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

He grinned at her agreement and together they headed for the kitchen. Mother dressed in her qipao with obi but no fishnet stockings. She wore her scroll bracelets and her hair was braided buns with a single braid hanging between them. Hanging red earrings were in her ears and Hatomi could tell mother wore a bit of make-up.

Father, well, Hatomi had never seen him in what he wore and did not know how to take it. Loose white pants covered his legs along with a long-sleeved version of his mission shirt. Instead of a flank vest he wore some kind of gray apron around his waist. His hair had been tied in its typical extremely low pony tail and he wore his hitai-ate over the Caged Bird Seal.

Even Shi and Shun had dressed up in black slacks with black vests over short-sleeved dress shirts. Shi's was in white while Shun had gone with light blue. Mother had done something to the twins' hair as Shi's short hair fell nicely on his skull and Shun's was in a neat pony tail for once.

"We've never had to dress up this much before," Shun complained.

"Yeah well," mother said.

She did not look impressed. Father was blank, _too_ blank and Hatomi had a feeling she would not like what they were about to say. She noticed Hizashi's smile had faded and he stared at their parents with slightly narrowed eyes.

"From noon until four your friends will be here to celebrate but at four we will head to the Hyuuga Compound for a formal dinner followed by the traditional spar," father said.

Hatomi clenched her jaw but forced the rest of her expression to maintain neutral. She saw Hizashi hadn't bothered. His anger showed in the scowl on his face, his crossed arms, and his furrowed brows.

"Why do we have to go to the Compound? Boruto didn't and no offense, dad, but Hinata-obasan was Main Branch," Hizashi said.

Father shrugged but Hatomi caught the twitch of his right eye. Even though the houses had been abolished, father still bore a seal which could be used against him by any unmarked Hyuuga who knew how. They had all been taught, except her, Hizashi, Shi, and Shun. There were even rumors of former Main House Hyuuga teaching the ones born after the abolishment about the curse seal and how to use it. No one could prove the rumors true or not.

"You have the family name and Byakugan," father said.

Hatomi huffed but took her seat. Of course she and Hizashi were looked at as Hyuuga. No one could deny their family name by looking at them. It did not make her any happier.

Breakfast went on in silence. When it was finished, Hatomi went back into her room and sat on her bed. Her friends would be here in a little over two hours so she had time to read. She all ready knew her brain would not focus on words, not after father's announcement.

She tried to meditate but her focus failed. Hatomi began to fiddle with her hair clips on her dresser, re-arranging them but she grew bored of this. She put on her radio but hated every song. She tried her cassette tapes but could not pick a band to listen to. Hatomi looked out her window but the cement wall had nothing impressive. Some days she cursed her choice in taking this room.

Perhaps she would get a bird feeder from someone today so she could put it outside her window to watch the birds. It would be more interesting than a blank wall. Hatomi heard the door opening and checked the clock. Fifteen minutes before noon.

Hatomi plastered a little smile on her face and forced down the feeling of restlessness. She would enjoy the first half of her birthday before facing down the Hyuuga clan.

* * *

Keeping the fake smile on his face had been hard to start at noon when everyone started showing up. Now it was torture and the clock read 2:30. The closer they got to four, the more difficult it was to keep smiling. At least his friends hadn't seemed to notice.

Shikadai commented on the weird shapes of the clouds while Inojin made fun of him. Sarada and Chocho talked to Hatomi about girl things (though Hatomi hadn't said a word since breakfast) while Shi and Shun played with Himawari. Boruto sulked on the swing while Metal pouted off to a side because father had glared at him until Metal walked away from Hatomi. Hizashi had found it funny for a few seconds. Now he wanted this day to be over.

Everyone had given him some sort of weapon for his birthday while Hatomi got a bird feeder and some books. Apparently parents had helped pick everything out. All the parents now sat on the patio furniture, talking about whatever it was parents talked about. Hizashi hadn't missed the serious looks they had given when they spotted dad in the weird outfit.

Apparently the whites were traditional Hyuuga robes. Hizashi was glad he wasn't forced to wear them. They looked way too loose and the apron reminded him of a skirt. Hizashi wouldn't tell his dad that but had an idea dad knew.

"You're weirdly quiet," Inojin remarked.

"Yeah, well, dinner with my extended family later and you know, getting to spar my sister tends to do that," Hizashi replied.

"Troublesome," Shikadai said with a yawn.

Hizashi agreed with his lazy friend. What made this worse was Boruto being here. He hadn't said a word since Hizashi had beaten him at his birthday and again, Naruto-sama had forced them to exchange pleasantries. Hizashi hated looking up to see his former best friend looking so sulky because he was here.

He missed the days he got warned about being out too late playing with Boruto and the others. He didn't miss the video games as much as he thought he would but he did miss walking around the village. Inojin and Shikadai liked to stay still and Hizashi was starting to get bored of it. He sighed and looked up at the clouds.

He couldn't see them all that well since they were light against what he figured was a pale blue sky. The bigger, fluffier ones he could see but he knew some were nothing more than wisps and he couldn't see those. He only knew the position of the sun because its gray was a bit different from the sky and it was bright.

"You do like all the weapons we got you, right?" Inojin asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to seal them later if I've got the energy," Hizashi said.

"Good. I wanted to give you another painting but mom insisted you'd like a weapon more," Inojin said.

Hizashi smiled at his friend but didn't tell him he had no idea what he would have liked more. The weapon, a four inch dagger, was awesome but another painting done in shades of gray might have been nice. Then again the paintings were starting to remind him of his deficiency. Weapons reminded him he had something other people might not have.

Some members of the Hyuuga clan would do enough reminding him of what he was missing. Hizashi hated going to the Compound. Hiashi, Hanabi, and the Elders were fine, so were a lot of the former Branch House members. A lot of the former Main House members though, they weren't nice at all.

They scowled at Hizashi and Hatomi in passing as if insulted he and his sister didn't have the Caged Bird Seal. Yeah, it was their fault the clan completely changed its ways when it came to the seal. Hizashi thought it was a damned good thing too but his opinion wasn't shared by a lot of unmarked Hyuuga.

At least they couldn't go back to the old ways. Hizashi took comfort in the fact he and his siblings wouldn't bear the seal. He saw how much dad hating having his forehead uncovered and couldn't stand it if he had to do the same.

"You're thinking too much," Shikadai said.

"I guess," Hizashi muttered.

He couldn't help it. He would be fighting Hatomi after having a stupid stifling dinner with extended relatives. The Hyuuga didn't speak during dinners, not like their family did. Hizashi, mom, and Shun normally carried every conversation but still. They were loud and funny. Tonight's dinner wouldn't be.

Time marched on and Hizashi forced a smile on his face as he wished his friends a good bye. He let out a breath when they were all gone and looked over at dad. Dad's face had remained too neutral the entire day and nothing had changed. Dad led the way out of the house and locked the door behind him.

Hizashi fell into step behind dad with Hatomi as they began to head towards the Hyuuga Compound. Mom walked up front with dad while Shi and Shun took up the rear, both looking like they were the ones heading for an execution. Hizashi resisted the urge to run a hand through his hair and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

He glanced at Hatomi and saw she had a frown on her face. Her normally relaxed eyes were slightly narrowed and she walked stiffer than normal, less regal and more like a feline ready to strike. At least he wasn't the only tense one.

Sure, he and Hatomi had sparred lots of times, their entire lives since they had learned to fight really. But this would be different. Today they wouldn't be holding back. They would be trying to show off, to show the prissy former Main House members a "mutt" Hyuuga was just as good, if not better than a full Hyuuga.

Hizashi knew Hatomi would fight as seriously as she could. She would want to win because she had this weird need to be the best at everything. Sure, Hizashi wanted to win too but he didn't want to beat his sister to a pulp or fill her with holes to do it. Maybe they'd get lucky and have to fight against some other Hyuuga. As long as they didn't have to fight dad, it'd turn out okay.

* * *

The Hyuuga Compound spanned over at least an acre of land, Hatomi was not entirely sure of its true size. But when one entered past the gate guards and into the Compound itself, the sense of foreboding slammed into their body and suddenly a person no longer wished to speak as loudly as they might have.

Proper decorum stated not to raise your voice. Sit up straight, do not lean on the table, do not speak back to your elders, do not slurp your food, do not act immature in anyway and until a decade ago: do not meet the eyes of the Main House if you are Branch House.

This last rule made Hatomi meet the eyes of every unmarked relative she saw on their path from the front gates through the sprawling front gardens, past the main entrance hallway and down a long corridor towards the dining hallway.

Every one of them glared at her when she met their eyes, even the younger ones. Children barely old enough to enter the Academy outright hated her because of what she and her siblings represented to the Branch House.

Her family showed the freedom to choose. It displayed the abolishment of archaic rules. The ability to change was represented by them. The former Main House loathed them for it all but Hatomi did not let it make her feel disgusted with herself as the former Main House members might want.

No, she was proud she had been the reason the Hyuuga Clan changed. She enjoyed her unmarred forehead and the ability to chose who she wanted to wed. She would never back down to the white stares of people who thought she was beneath them.

The doors opened to the Main dining hall and Hatomi gulped.

It seemed like everyone in the former Main House sat in the dining hall. Even the few who had glared at her were entering from different doors and taking places at the massive oak table dominating the room. Hatomi could see the places had been set traditionally and formally. People sat stiffly in their chairs, even those younger than Shi and Shun.

Hiashi-sama sat at the head with Hanabi-sama beside. The council took the next set of seats on both right and left. There were two seats left empty then more Hyuuga filled in. Hatomi had a feeling she was about to be separated from everyone but her twin.

"Hizashi, Hatomi, you two will be sitting directly beside the Elders. Shi, Shun, Tenten follow me," father said.

Hatomi resisted the urge to take Hizashi's hand to calm her pattering heart. She did see Hizashi go paler than normal but he nodded. Father gave them an encouraging look and led the rest of the family to the _far_ end of the table. Hatomi got her legs to work and strode towards the immense table. She sat between a female Elder and a former Main House man she did not know. Hizashi went around the head of the table to sit beside a male Elder and a former Main House man they did not know.

They were greeted with nods and faint smiles from the Elders. The others around them ignored them. Hatomi felt as if it took _hours_ for the rest of the Hyuuga Family to settle in but it could not have been so long. She had to concentrate to keep her breathing regular as other Hyuuga, ones wearing bandanas over their foreheads, came into the room to serve dinner.

Hatomi bit her tongue instead of her lip and kept her hands folded neatly in her lap even though she wanted to both hit something and fiddle with her fingers. The audacity of having former Branch House serve former Main House had not been lost on her. Hiashi-sama and the Elders had likely given into the request to appease the rest of the clan.

Hatomi did not know what she ate; only that she kept from spilling and ate with a delicate style which showed how proper she was. Even Hizashi slowed down his typical eating style and became the perfect example of Hyuuga standards.

No one spoke or if they did the whispers were too light for Hatomi to catch. She kept her eyes focused on her food or Hizashi who sat across from her but one seat up towards the head as the council was uneven in number. When the meal was finished there was no cake. Mother and Father had given them one after lunch so she would not complain.

"We will move to the main training fields," Hiashi-sama said.

Chairs began being pushed out and people began to move. Hatomi had no idea how to get to the main training fields alone. She visited the Compound once a year, twice occasionally, and every time she had been lead around by father. Now he had become lost in the crowd. Hatomi took a deep breath and began following Hanabi-sama. Hizashi caught up with her and soon they became disoriented in the maze-like hallways.

How father had lived here for the first nineteen years of his life, she could not fathom. She wanted to activate her Byakugan to find him so she could ask but activating Byakugan was not allowed while inside the Compound. It could be activated in designated training rooms or fields but if activated anywhere else there would be some kind of punishment. Hatomi did not want to find out what the punishment was.

They main training field was outdoors and massive. Former Main House Hyuuga had taken up one side while former Branch Hyuuga took up the other side. Even after twelve years of the houses being abolished, no one mingled. Hatomi wanted to throw up her dinner but managed to keep it down.

She nearly screamed when a hand landed on her shoulder but kept it back. She glanced up to see Hiashi-sama had his hand on her shoulder and guided her forward towards the middle of the dirt covered training area. Hanabi-sama stood in her place, a frown on her face and Hizashi stood beside her looking confused.

Hiashi-sama would introduce her to the clan as the two minute younger sibling as tradition then tell Hizashi to come take his place. They would fight and once the fight was over they could go home and forget about their relatives for a little while.

"I present to you Hyuuga Hatomi, two minute younger sibling of Hyuuga Hizashi, eldest child of Hyuuga Neji, son of Hyuuga Hizashi, my two minute younger twin brother. Today Hatomi turns thirteen and thus will spar against a member of the clan to show her worth. Her sparring partner will be Hyuuga Neji."

Hatomi felt her heart drop to her feet. Her throat went completely dry and she had gray spots in front of her vision. A hushed murmur went through the crowd and Hatomi willed her body to breathe and relax. The crowd parted.

Father stepped through the throng of former Main House members with mother, Shi, and Shun following behind. Mother, Shi, and Shun stopped at the front of the spectators while father kept moving towards her. She could not read his expression. She had a feeling he could see the panic on her features. She wanted to go home.

* * *

He could not believe Hiashi-sama would approve of him sparring his daughter on her birthday. He understood the need to appease the former Main House members of the clan so they did not revolt or start using the Caged Bird Seal when they could but this, this was not right.

He had twenty years experience on his daughter, hundreds of more missions, a war, and the fact he had fought in front of the entire clan on more than a few occasions. The clan knew him as the Prodigy, the Hyuuga Genius, and the one who would have been clan head if not for the Caged Bird Seal gracing his brow.

Neji knew why the former Main House had wanted him to face Hatomi. In the days before the Houses were abolished, oft times a Branch House adult would spar against a Main House thirteen year old to remind the Branch House of their place. The Main House teen would have learned and perfected more advanced techniques and easily overwhelmed the Branch House adult.

In this case, he and Hatomi were on level skill set except he had more experience. The former Main House likely still saw him as nothing but a Branch House Hyuuga but they saw Hatomi's unmarked forehead and wanted to see her potential. If she lost then she would be nothing in their eyes but they would be able to tell if he did not give it his all.

He could not let her win as it would show her weakness. If he defeated her (and it would be a small miracle if she somehow overcame him) then she would be seen as weak. The single way around this horrid situation was for Hatomi to win which was unlikely considering the experience gap.

Neji believed in his daughter and knew she was a powerful fighter for a genin going on chunin. But she was a genin. She had been working with the Hyuuga Clan techniques for a mere seven years while he had used them for almost thirty. She had little chance.

Damn the former Main House members straight to Hell.

Neji stood in front of his daughter, his princess, and tried not to simply concede. Her eyes were wide, mouth set in a thin white line, and her entire form was too stiff. She breathed more than normal, deeper, trying to calm herself and Neji wanted nothing more than to hug her close and tell her no matter what happened it would be okay.

He could not.

"You may begin once I return to my position," Hiashi-sama said.

Neji inclined his head as did Hatomi. Hiashi-sama met his eyes and Neji saw apology in Hiashi-sama's wrinkle-lined eyes. Neji let his anger show and Hiashi-sama winced vaguely. Neji let out a breath then activated Byakugan.

He shifted into a fighting stance and watched as Hatomi let out a long breath and mimicked his movements. He studied his daughter's form as Hiashi-sama made his way slowly back to Hanabi-sama. Hatomi's form was perfect though her hands trembled slightly. Unless someone activated Byakugan they would not see her hands trembling. Neji bit his tongue as Hiashi-sama made it to Hanabi-sama.

Hatomi attacked.

Age had not made Neji slower and the fact he and Tenten had the twins at twenty-one did not help Hatomi in this spar. Neji easily blocked her attack but did not go on the offensive. He wanted to give her a few moments to regain her composure, to let her know in his mind this was a regular spar. He would not care if she lost. He would still love her. He might not get the chance to keep it going for long.

The former Main House were all ready glowering. They knew he could do more. They would tell him to stop holding back soon. They did not want to see every movement of Hatomi's body had been absolutely perfect. Thankfully her breath had calmed and the rigidness had left her form. She had begun to regain her poise.

"Fight for real," one of the former Main House said.

Neji saw Hatomi's frown deepen. He met her eyes and she gave the slightest nod. The need to hug her close raised but again he forced it down. He switched from defense to offense and began driving his daughter back.

Hatomi's lips settled in a scowl of concentration as she met his attacks with blocks. Her eyes twitched slightly with pain at every impact but he did not block her tenketsu. He would not stoop so low if it could be helped.

Neji grimaced when members of both the former Main and Branch Houses activated Byakugan. They could see now his hits had no real impact and the former Main House began muttering in disappointment. He would have to strike out for real.

He loathed the unmarked relatives and wished he fought them instead of his daughter.

"Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms: two strikes,"

Neji had not expected Hatomi to go into a full attack this soon but attack she did. She managed to hit the first two tenketsu in the technique simply because she had surprised him. The third and fourth snuck through but he blasted her with a Vacuum Palm when she moved in for the fifth.

She skidded along the dirt and Neji followed her while detesting every step forward. He did not want to do this. He had no choice.

"Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms: two strikes,"

He cut off the chakra to the first two tenketsu in the attack. Hatomi's eyes narrowed in pain and Neji wanted to stop right there. He could not. Someone would use the Caged Bird Seal on him. The clan would see her as weak. It did not matter what he did.

"Four Strikes,"

The next four hit in rapid succession, cutting off more of her chakra and she gasped in agony. Her hands moved though and Neji was forced to shift lest she hit his arms with her chakra. Even so, a palm strike to her abdomen made her slide backwards on her feet again and he chased her down.

"Revolving Heaven,"

Neji hardly stopped in time before the dome of chakra appeared around his daughter. Everyone could see the weak point in the dome around the middle area where it would protect her abdomen. It did not matter, she had repelled him.

Neji saw the dome weakening then spotted Hatomi in the air above him. Neji glanced up as Hatomi came down. Instead of her hands coming out at him, her foot came towards his head in a Lee-esque move. Neji kept his smile back.

He moved to block Hatomi's kick using his right arm and his eyes widened. Too late he noticed her shove chakra out of her foot, too late to draw back his arm and step back. Her foot hit his arm because of his block and suddenly all the tenketsu points in his right forearm were closed off.

Hatomi had learned to channel her chakra through _any_ chakra points to block tenketsu. She did not have to rely on her hands. Neji let the smile come over his face as he backed up and Hatomi came down from her kick. She landed then twisted in another Lee-esque move to launch another kick, this one headed towards his abdomen.

Neji had a choice.

He could either allow Hatomi to hit the side of his chest and block off the tenketsu to his left lung or her could let her hit his left arm and render him incapable of blocking off the tenketsu in her. He took option three: shifting backwards out of her path. She kept moving forward and Neji hit her with another Vacuum Palm to gain some distance.

The fight was proving to be more interesting than anyone had likely thought. He could see it from the shock in the former Main House member's eyes and the pride in the eyes of the former Branch House members. Hatomi had changed the entire fight.

He had never seen this in training as they did not use chakra in training to its full extent, nor did they fight this hard. Hatomi had a fighting chance and she knew it as she came in for a low leg sweep which forced Neji to jump up. Hatomi, his princess, was quick though and followed through with her kick to land a palm on his mid-section, forcing the air out of his lungs and blocking off five tenketsu.

Neji took the advantage of their closeness and slammed his palm into her right shoulder. Chakra cut off from her collar bone down her entire right arm and she winced but did not stop her assault. Another kick but this time he shifted to catch it in his all ready chakra weak right hand. Neji snaked his left arm through the air as she tried to twist away. She was fast but not fast enough.

As much as he hated to do it, he blocked off two tenketsu points in her leg which severed the flow of chakra from her core to her foot. Her other leg was coming up so Neji ducked out of the way while tossing her from his grasp. He saw her hit the ground on her right side but she came up onto her feet a moment later, panting and dusty.

She came in again and Neji prepared to defend. What he did not expect was her to activate a Lion Head around her left hand two seconds after she lashed out with her left hand and a moment before he could dodge. The chakra blasted into the right side of his chest and he felt chakra cut off around his right lung. She tried to follow up with a kick from the leg which still had chakra but experience bought him recovery time.

He slammed two fingers into her navel then forced chakra through her all ready closed paths to her spine. Hatomi's eyes went wide as her legs were cut out from under her and she collapsed onto the ground in front of him. Neji let out a breath then yelped as her chakra laden Lion's Head fist slammed into his right shin.

He stumbled back, his right leg unable to support him and fell on his ass. Neji barely managed to roll out of the way of a shot of chakra from Hatomi's left hand. He did gain enough momentum to get to his left foot and back off enough she could no longer hit him.

For several moments, silence reigned. Neji did not step in to give a final blow simply because there was no point. Hatomi deactivated her Byakugan but did not bother trying to struggle to her feet. Neji watched as Hiashi-sama strode across the field with an unreadable expression on his face.

"The winner is Hyuuga Neji but I believe it is fair to say Hyuuga Hatomi has more than proven herself," Hiashi-sama said.

Cheers erupted from the former Branch House side while the former Main House glowered. Neji stumbled to his daughter and got her into his arms. She said nothing to him as he hobbled towards his wife and sons. Hatomi did have a small smile on her face and for a moment, Neji was at peace.

The peace was shattered when Hiashi-sama spoke:

"I present to you Hyuuga Hizashi the eldest child of Hyuuga Neji, son of Hyuuga Hizashi, my two minute younger twin brother. Today Hizashi turns thirteen and thus will spar against a member of the clan to show his worth. His sparring partner will be Hyuuga Hanabi."

* * *

Tenten couldn't believe the stupid former Main House members were being so hard on her kids. She knew about the clan politics. Hiashi had probably made the suggestion her twins fight each other but the former Main House had disagreed. In order to keep the former Main House from activating the Caged Bird Seal (illegally at least) on the former Branch Members, Hiashi had agreed to make Hatomi fight Neji and Hizashi fight Hanabi.

Neji and Hanabi were considered the most powerful of their generation, Neji for his eyes and the fact he had learned the Hyuuga Family techniques by simple watching and Hanabi because, well, she was kick ass. Sheer determination and hard work had made Hanabi able to go head to head with Neji and not get her ass kicked even if he fought seriously.

Now, Hatomi, her daughter could claim close to the same. Tenten had been stunned to see Hatomi had learned how to cut off chakra with _any_ limb, not just her two fingers like every other Hyuuga in the clan. No, she could use her feet and she had learned some of Lee's fighting moves, incorporating them into her style to make her even more deadly.

Never mind the fact Hatomi was thirteen and had mastered Gentle Fist along with the Sixty-four palms, Revolving Heaven, Vacuum Palm, Mountain Crusher, and now the Lion Fist. There were a few moves she could learn left but she would turn out as strong, if not stronger than her father at the same age.

Tenten wrapped an arm around Neji's waist when he got close enough. He had dragged his left leg behind him but kept Hatomi in a bridal carry in his arms. Hatomi no longer panted but she did have a scowl on her face to match her father's. Tenten knew both didn't think it was right for Hizashi to fight Hanabi but they couldn't do anything.

Tenten glanced to Shi and Shun. Thankfully, Shun wouldn't have to go through this since he wasn't a shinobi. Shi, yeah, Shi might have to fight his father or one of his siblings in three years. Tenten sighed and focused on Hizashi and Hanabi who stood in the middle of the field waiting for Hiashi to come back from the middle.

Both had Byakugan activated and Hizashi had taken up a Gentle Fist stance. Tenten wanted to ask what was wrong with him. Sure, Hizashi could hold out for a while against Hatomi with Gentle Fist but she never fought at full strength. Hizashi's Gentle Fist was average: he could do the sixty-four Palms and Revolving Heaven but his Vacuum Palm and Mountain Crusher needed work.

Hanabi had perfected all the Hyuuga techniques she could possibly learn seven years ago: Sixty-Four Palms, Vacuum Palm, Mountain Crusher, Lion Fist, Palm Bottom, Revolving Heaven, Tenketsu Needle, and One Blow Body. She had perfect Hinata's Water Needle. She had learned to use other water-style techniques. Hizashi was finished if he thought he could beat Hanabi with Gentle Fist.

He would have to prove he could fight with it though. It was what this match was about. Tenten tried to get moisture in her dry throat but it was a lost cause. Hanabi wouldn't go easy on Hizashi either.

Her reputation as Heir was on the line and she could not afford to look weak in front of the entire clan. She fought hard her entire life to prove to the misogynist Hyuuga a female could be the Clan Head. In three years she would take over. If she lost, well, she might not.

Hizashi couldn't lose horribly either. It would show the clan a mixed Hyuuga would grow up worthless at least half the time. Hanabi would have a hard time allowing outer clan marriages if this happened. Tenten let out a breath and clutched Neji's shirt.

Hiashi had made it to stand beside them.

Tenten bit her lip as Hizashi went in for the attack. Sure, Hizashi was five feet seven, a whole three inches taller than Hanabi and probably had about thirty-five pounds on the heiress but she was a lot quicker, less weight to move and all that.

Hizashi missed, fingers skimming by Hanabi's sides as she shifted out of the way enough to not be hit. She went in for the attack before Hizashi could fully recover and he got two strikes to his left arm for the effort. Oddly, he ran past her then spun on his heels to face her again as she turned. They were three yards apart.

Tenten kept her eyes on her son. His lips were pressed into a thin line of concentration and his eyes were narrowed slightly, Byakugan veins predominate around his glowing amber eyes. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly but his stance was loose, still a Gentle Fist one though. Hanabi moved this time but Hizashi let her come in.

Weird.

He had to have something planned. Tenten didn't miss the fact Hizashi wore his scroll belt. He probably had weapons hiding in his shoes as well as some hidden in his vest. He might look unarmed but well, he always took after her.

Hanabi was a step away from being able to land a deadly blow to Hizashi's mid-section when he smirked. His right hand moved and if Tenten hadn't been the one to teach him weapon techniques, she might not have caught the movement. She grinned.

A senbon struck Hanabi in the right shoulder and judging by the way her eyebrows shot up, it had either hit a tenketsu point or she hadn't seen it until too late. It could be a bit of both. Unfortunately, Hanabi still had her other hand and delivered a palm to Hizashi's mid-section. He was flung back but came up on his feet six yards away.

Hanabi removed the senbon needle and flung it to the ground. She took up a defensive stance and waited. Hizashi did not disappoint.

He led with dozens of senbon flying from his hands curtsey of the hidden pockets with their hidden pieces of paper in his vest. Hanabi reacted accordingly, smacking aside every needle with a little smile on her face. Each needle hit the ground around her until she became surrounded in a circle of steel. Hizashi had moved forward a yard. Now he grinned. Tenten kept back her laugh when he performed a half tiger seal.

Hanabi's eyes went huge as her jaw dropped and she started to move. She was too late.

"Boom,"

The senbon exploded around Hanabi but Tenten spotted the sphere of chakra surround the heiress. Tenten kept watching as Hizashi ran in, flinging out chakra wire, and encasing the blue dome. Hanabi's dome sputtered out and Tenten realized Hizashi had used charka _absorbing_ wire.

Hanabi jumped up but her ankle was caught by a wire and Hizashi pulled her brutally down. She struck out with a Mountain Crusher and again Hizashi went flying. He landed hard on his left side and rolled. This time he stayed down for a moment before struggling to his feet. Hanabi had made it to hers but did not charge in.

She had to know the distance worked to Hizashi's advantage. The best way for her to win the battle was to keep Hizashi close. Tenten watched as Hizashi considered Hanabi from a distance of seven yards. Hanabi didn't move, keeping her stance relaxed as she stood outside of the senbon circle. It didn't matter even if she was in the circle. Exploding senbon could only be detonated once.

Hizashi's hands went to his belt and he flung out kunai this time. Hanabi easily knocked them aside, further than the senbon this time and managed to catch a few to throw back at him. Hizashi easily caught his weapons but didn't throw them back. He was testing her like she was testing him. Tenten held Neji closer.

When Hanabi finally moved in to fight she would've finished testing Hizashi. Then it would all be over. Shuriken led the assault this time and Hizashi began to move forward. Hanabi let him come with a smile on her face. She knew Hizashi would be less patient and played to it. Tenten wanted to curse.

She almost burst out laughing when Hizashi summoned a giant battle axe once he was close enough to Hanabi. The expression of utter shock on Hanabi's face would've been worth millions. Hizashi swung his axe and Hanabi was forced to dodge. She couldn't exactly block an axe with a limb unless she was okay with losing said limb.

Hyuuga never carried weapons as their bare hands were normally more than enough in any fight. Hizashi was showing the clan (hilariously in Tenten's mind) why this wasn't going to work anymore. Hanabi couldn't block the battle axe in her regular way and she couldn't get close enough to Hizashi to hit him since the axe put at least two yards between them.

Eventually Hizashi would get tired since the giant axe weighed fifty pounds. Even when he dropped it, his message would be sent. Tenten glanced at the former Main House Hyuuga around and saw them all stunned. The former Branch House were amused, whooping and hollering in encouragement to Hizashi.

Long minutes passed and the two were covered in sweat, Hizashi from wielding the weighty weapon and Hanabi from trying to dodge the axe. Hizashi dropped the axe and it landed with a thud beside him. Hanabi tried to strike but Hizashi's Bo was in his hands a moment later. He smacked Hanabi in the left wrist with it and she winced.

Her body shifted to attack with her right hand but Hizashi's Bo was right there to intercept. The strikes kept coming as did Hizashi's blocks and soon they were squaring off exchanging quick blows. Hanabi got a strike in for every ten she tried but she made each hit count: the solar plexus, arms, chest (lungs for the tenketsu she cut off), and Hizashi's right shoulder.

Even so, Hizashi kept blocking. Tenten couldn't help but be impressed with Hanabi. The heiress had never sparred against her but could hold out against a Bo. Hell, Hatomi usually got one in every nine or ten strikes in once Hizashi switched to his Bo. Hatomi could normally turn the tides back to her favor by grabbing the Bo, like Neji. Maybe Hanabi wouldn't try it.

No, Hanabi tried something else.

A solid palm strike to the middle of Hizashi's Bo snapped the four yard long weapon messily in half. Both closed their eyes against the onslaught of wood shards but neither jumped away. Hizashi used his two Bo pieces like two elongated hanbo and Tenten held back her chuckle at Hanabi's unimpressed look.

At least a yard of the Bo had been destroyed in the middle so the remaining pieces were a yard and a half long. Splinters of wood kept falling around them but Hizashi struck out with his make-shift hanbo as Hanabi kept up her assault. She had to be cautious as know Hizashi had plenty of room to jab and one side of each weapon came to a jagged kind of point thanks to Hanabi's attack.

The fact Hizashi had held out so long against Hanabi was amazing in Tenten's eyes. Sure, he hadn't done it with the Hyuuga techniques but he still aimed for tenketsu with his hanbo when he could. He had also put Hanabi against the ropes for some of the battle and managed to almost blow her up. Hell, he'd stopped her Revolving Heaven.

Even so, Hizashi's stamina would eventually run out. The tenketsu points Hanabi had managed to close would slow him down and Hanabi would be able to strike more. So far Hanabi had hit about twenty tenketsu and Tenten didn't need Byakugan to see the effect on her son.

His breaths came out rougher than normal because a few of those points had been to the chakra paths wound around his lungs. His left arm was slower than because of shut down tenketsu. His right shoulder twitched with every arm extension because of the tenketsu Hanabi had blocked there. His foot work had also become sloppier since she's shut off some tenketsu in his upper thighs and abdomen. Soon, he wouldn't be able to move quickly enough to get out of the way of a final blow.

The moment happened.

Tenten wanted to close her eyes but kept them open. Hizashi's right hanbo came around too slow to knock Hanabi's chakra laced left hand away and her strike was headed straight for his spine, similar in style to how Neji had cut Hatomi down.

"Mountain Crusher,"

Tenten gaped with everyone else when Hizashi shouted this out. Hanabi's eyes went wide and she back-tracked. Everyone knew the Mountain Crusher done at this range would probably win the battle for him even if he hadn't perfected it. Nothing happened and Tenten almost face-planted when Hizashi beamed.

"Psyche!"

She would laugh later. Right now she watched with everyone else. Hizashi smacked both his hanbo over Hanabi's head then kicked her in the face when she started to fall forward. Hanabi landed on her back three yards away but rolled onto her feet with her eyes narrowed and lips turned down into a snarl.

Tenten knew Hizashi didn't care how pissed Hanabi was. He had managed to sneak his personality into a traditional Hyuuga fight and done it so wonderfully he had knocked down the heiress off the clan. Too bad said heiress' hands lit with chakra in the shape of lion heads as she ran in at Hizashi.

Hizashi knew it was over but didn't give up and she admired his will. He'd gotten it from her after all. She winced when Hanabi went in for the final blow, one hand high and one low. Hizashi tried to block but both his hanbo shattered. He couldn't uncurl his hands fast enough to help him when Hanabi's hits struck.

He flew back seven yards, landing on his back and skidded another three yards before coming to a stop. His Byakugan had deactivated and he had landed with his arms spread out like he was going to make a snow angel. He breathed but Tenten did not like the fact he wasn't even trying to get up.

Hiashi called the fight but Tenten didn't hear exactly what he said. All she knew was she could let Neji support himself as she ran towards her sprawled son. She hit the ground with her knees and saw Hizashi blinking up at her, lips parted so he could take deeper breaths. Despite everything he had a happy smile on his face.

Only her son could get his butt beaten up on his birthday and smile about it.

"I did good?" Hizashi got out.

"You did good," Tenten said.

She didn't care if Neji chided them later for being grammatically incorrect. She ignored the blurring of her vision as she tugged Hizashi up. Thankfully he still had some ability to move by his power or she never would have been able to stand him up and help him limp back towards the rest of the family.

"Does anyone disagree?" Hiashi said.

Tenten didn't know if she should be agreeing or disagreeing so kept her mouth shut and concentrated on carrying her son towards her husband and the rest of her kids. Mutters came from the former Main House members but no one outright disagreed. She did catch a scowl on Neji's face, one of his furious scowls reserved for the clan when they really pissed him off.

"Good. Then neither Hizashi nor Hatomi shall be given the Caged Bird Seal,"

Tenten almost dropped her son but kept moving at the last moment. She had _no idea_ this battle would've determined if her eldest twins were sealed or not. Obviously Neji hadn't heard about it either since he looked ready to kill. He said nothing though, simply turned on his heel when she was close enough and began to walk away from the crowd.

Thankfully Shi and Shun helped her with Hizashi so she could get his axe. Neji's limp faded as he moved so obviously Hatomi had not been using her full force during her last attack. Either that or Neji was being stubborn. Tenten would bet on the latter. They left the Compound ten minutes later and no one looked back.

Neji stayed silent on the way back home as did her kids. Tenten did catch Hatomi with her eyes closed, breathing deeply as she napped in her father's arms. Hizashi would've napped too if Tenten had been able to carry him like Neji carried Hatomi.

"She broke my Bo," Hizashi said. "I loved that Bo. I've had it since I was ten. Now I've got to get a new one and that's going to be hard because the weight'll be different and the grip'll be stupid."

Tenten laughed at her son as he pouted. Never mind the fact he might have been sealed or the fact he probably would be hurting like hell tomorrow, no, no, his Bo had been broken and replacing it would be hard. She understood.

Neji didn't comment. They made it home and Shi left her side to open the door for them. Neji carried Hatomi into her room and Tenten got Hizashi into his. She walked into Hatomi's room as Neji walked out. He couldn't strip her as it would be awkward for everyone involved so Tenten shut the door behind her husband and went to her still daughter.

Tenten sighed as she pulled off Hatomi's shoes first then the leggings from under Hatomi's dirty dress. The leggings were ripped in a few places from Hatomi landing, not so much from weapons. Tenten might be able to salvage them. She would know better in the morning, after they were washed.

Tenten unbuttoned the high collar of her daughter's dress then gently tugged the dusty garment off. Hatomi didn't move. Tenten let the dress drop the ground and stared at her daughter's body.

Little bruises, the size of the tip of a finger, decorated Hatomi's body from the spar she had with her father hardly an hour ago. Despite the bruising Hatomi's skin was exactly like her father's: smooth, pale, and silky looking. Tenten noticed how huge Hatomi's breasts really were and frowned.

Her thirteen year old daughter had the body of a woman at least four or more years older. Large bust, slender toned waist, broad hips, long shapely legs and long arms toned from training topped with delicate looking feet and graceful hands. Hatomi embodied a female version of her father with all the delicate good looks.

Tenten would need a sturdier Bo to knock away the guys.

She reached around Hatomi's chest and unclasped the no-frills white bra Hatomi wore. Tenten frowned when Hatomi's breasts bounced out of their confinement then shook her head. The bra was tossed into the rest of the dirty laundry pile and Tenten pulled Hatomi's sleep shirt (one of Neji's really old shirts she saw) and a pair of short shorts onto Hatomi's adult body. It took careful positioning to get the head band out of Hatomi's hair and to brush it out but she had done close to the same with Neji after every mission he had.

Finally, Tenten tucked Hatomi under the covers, picked up the dirty clothes, and shut off the light. She closed the door quietly behind her and met Neji coming down the hallway with a bundle of Hizashi's clothes. They said nothing as they went into the laundry room together. Tenten had to take all the weapons out of Hizashi's vest and smiled at the amount he had hid. She spotted Neji fingering a cut in Hatomi's dress with a frown on his face.

"You didn't mean it," Tenten told him.

"Hn,"

At least he agreed with her.

"They were going to seal them if they failed,"

Neji's words hung in the air between them and Tenten sighed. Hiashi would've done it to so the former Main House wouldn't rebel by weakening all the former Branch House then killing off Hiashi and Hanabi before coming for Neji and their kids.

"The same will happen with Shi if he fails. I have a feeling there has been some talk about sealing Shun as he is not a shinobi,"

"What's the point of sealing him anyway?"

She wanted to hit something but knew it was better to channel her anger into making sure her son's weapons didn't go through the wash.

"He possesses Byakugan even if he cannot activate it. If someone were to kidnap him they could harvest his eyes. Worse yet, he cannot defend himself from a kidnapping like his siblings if someone were to try. It is likely why the former Main House will be pushing it,"

Tenten hated how much logical sense it made. She didn't want to see _any_ of her children sealed for any reason. She might not have a choice.

"You know, it's kind of been a lot worse since the Houses were abolished. At least when they existed Hiashi didn't have the threat of rebellion over his head if he didn't make the Main House happy,"

Tenten knew the problem with her words the moment they were out of her mouth. Neji's glare helped her thoughts along and he shut himself off to her. She hated when he did this. At least she didn't make him do it often.

His shoulders stiffened, his hands clenched into half fists, his lips turned down into a frown, and his eyes narrowed. His nostrils flared and his eyes went blank, even to her who had become adept at reading his expressions through his eyes.

"Perhaps we should have authorized the sealing of our children when they were all born if this new organization of the clan is so tedious," Neji said.

Tenten winced at the tone of her husband's voice, never mind the fact he had gone all prim and proper on her. She hadn't poked a nerve. She'd blown it up.

"You know I don't mean it like that," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

Yeah, the rest of their night would be spent quietly and he wouldn't cuddle up to her when they went to bed.

"I never wanted our kids to be slaves to the clan. But even you have to admit the clan still sucks," Tenten said.

He sighed and his eyes relaxed. Weariness came over his features and Tenten loathed being glad he was probably too emotionally wounded from sparring with Hatomi to fight with her. She hugged him and he hugged her back, body relaxing. Tenten didn't know for sure how long they stood there but eventually they pulled apart and started a load of laundry.

Shi and Shun weren't in the living room when they went into the kitchen and Miruku wasn't in the area either. Neji confirmed all four kids were in bed, Miruku sleeping on Shun's pillow near his head. All her kids were safe. For now.

* * *

This chapter took me like a week to write cuz I got my new phone and started playing games. Oops. Did I mention how much I love Hizashi? *snickers* Reviews welcome, they keep me going.


	27. Caged Bird

**Caged Bird**

 **Author's notes:** Kids are getting older, chunin exams are coming up, and Hyuuga clan (half of them) are still assholes most of the time...same old.

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now. Though I think we've lost the kinky sex aspect of this story a few chapters back. Whoops?

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

Work is killing me. After this next week I'll be on a new shift which allows me more time to post stuff or write. Also, I'll eventually start posting a side-fic to this series called _Bonds: Memories._ It'll be basically all about the kinky sex aspect of this that's virtually disappeared. There will eventually be exploration of _other_ couples including the kids once they're older and once we've gotten past certain spoiler parts in this. No set date on when the side-fic is coming though.

* * *

Now that he didn't have to worry about getting a new Bo nor had the pain of Hanabi-sama's beating in his body, Hizashi could focus on what Hiashi-sama had said while mom had moved him out of the training area.

 _We have seen both Hizashi and Hatomi were able to fight back against so-called pure bred Hyuuga, two of the strongest this clan has seen in many generations. If they had more training or the experience of their counter-parts we can all agree they may have won.  
With that said, I do not believe we should place the Caged Bird Seal upon their brows. They are truer Hyuuga than any so-called pure-bred. Does anyone disagree? Good. Then neither Hizashi nor Hatomi shall be given the Caged Bird Seal._

If he had lost horribly against Hanabi-sama last week he would've been sealed like dad. Thankfully he hadn't known about it before or he would've choked. As it was, Hizashi had a feeling dad hadn't either or they wouldn't have gone in the first place.

Hizashi had a pretty good idea he had been made to fight Hanabi-sama and Hatomi had been made to fight dad because of the former Main House. He might act all happy and bubbly but it didn't mean he was an idiot. He could see the unmarked Hyuuga (minus maybe a handful) hated the fact he and his siblings had no seal since they were a Branch House member's kids and all.

The clan was worse off than it had been before mom and dad had made them abolish the Caged Bird Seal but Hizashi wouldn't tell dad this. Dad wouldn't be happy about it and when dad wasn't happy the home training got a helluva lot harder.

Not that Hizashi minded the challenge.

He didn't want it a week after being beaten around by Hanabi-sama. The fact Hatomi would be either as skilled as or more skilled than Hanabi-sama wasn't lost on him. Hell, Hatomi was all ready able to use most of the Hyuuga techniques minus the Tenketsu Needle, Palm Bottom, and Hinata-obasan's Water Needle.

He might learn the Twin Lion Fist but he'd struggle with it. He couldn't help he was basically learning three styles of fighting what with Lee-sensei's taijustu training, mom's weapon training, and dad's Hyuuga training. The fact he hadn't blown up yet was amazing.

Hizashi let out a breath and flicked his senbon into the air before catching it easily. He stood alone in the training field, weird enough for a normal circumstance but today was different. Metal and Lee-sensei were training at home, something to do with the Gates and different Lotus techniques Metal wanted to learn. Hatomi trained with dad at home and mom, well, she was on a mission while Shi and Shun were at school.

Her long-range attacks and weapon expertise would be needed for a week in some other country. Mom hadn't said much about it but Hizashi knew it would've all been classified anyway. Hizashi hadn't felt like hanging out with Shikadai and Inojin but even they were training with Chocho.

He and Boruto still weren't on speaking terms and Hizashi hadn't made many civilian friends. Even so, everyone his age was either in a civilian school like Shun or training to be shinobi like his friends. If they weren't then they were learning a trade from their parents to continue the family tradition.

Family tradition.

Hizashi hated his family's traditions. Well, not mom and dad's individual traditions like waking them up early to go play in the first snowfall or making them chocolate chip pancakes every Sunday. No, those were awesome traditions he looked forward to.

He hated the Hyuuga traditions. The Caged Bird Seal, the decorum, the sparring at thirteen to show your worth, the high and mighty attitude because a person's forehead was bare. He hated it all to the point he sometimes wished he wasn't a Hyuuga.

He wouldn't tell dad this either.

Instead, Hizashi flung his senbon at a target. As typical it hit dead center and he stared at it for a while. Like a senbon needle in a target three hundred meters away could tell him the answer to any of his questions.

Hizashi sighed.

Here he was, the perfect mix of Hyuuga and mom but half of his blood relatives loathed him. He could be the perfect assassin as no one would ever see where the kill needle had come from or be able to see him strike. Too bad assassins weren't needed so much. He had kind of been born too late for any kind of super deadly missions.

Hizashi wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to feel disappointed at the fact. Sure, he had awesome skills but he wouldn't be able to ever put them to full use. It wasn't like he'd have to fight in a war or kill S-Rank shinobi because they had attacked the village. The most he would get to do is guard some important dignitary on the way home just in case as people were rarely assaulted on the roads anymore.

But, peace had a way of fizzling out according to history anyway. It did help the Hokage was one of the few left in the world with a tailed beast sealed inside him though. But eventually someone would get it in their heads that people had to die and the sleeping shinobi of the world would have to wake up.

His cell phone ringing brought him out of his thoughts and Hizashi plucked it out of his pocket but kept his Byakugan active. Shi's number came up on the screen and Hizashi blinked at it. Weird for Shi to be calling him right after school.

"Hey, bro, what—"

This was as far as he got.

"Shun's been taken," Shi said.

Hizashi started moving, not caring he left a bunch of senbon and kunai around the training field. No one would steal them on him and if they did he had a mom who regularly bought weapons.

"What do you mean?" Hizashi asked.

"I came to walk him home from school but the teacher said a relative signed him out. Shun apparently tried to protest but the teacher moved him along because of his issues with recognizing faces. The relative made a good enough case the teacher didn't call dad,"

The Academy for Shinobi let out half an hour later than the non-shinobi school but Shun had always waited for Shi to come get him. It was purely because Shun tended to get lost coming from school to home because he couldn't recognize familiar objects or landmarks half the time thanks to his messed up eyes.

The teachers always complained to mom and dad about staying until Shi came to get Shun but mom and dad insisted on Shi picking Shun up. At least if Shun's twin brother came to get him the other kids wouldn't make fun of Shun for still needing his parents to walk him home.

"Did you call dad?"

"No, I, he'll blow up,"

Blow up wasn't the way to describe it. Hizashi had a pretty good idea of what relative had taken Shun. Maybe not the exact name of the person but someone with an unmarked head would've brought him back to the Compound. Shun going to the Compound without dad's knowledge meant something bad might be happening to Shun now as Hizashi ran towards said Compound.

"Dad will blow up more if we don't call him,"

"I know. But what's dad going to do against a former Main Houser?"

Shun had a great point. Dad's seal would be used against him the instant he got anywhere near Shun. They didn't need dad rampaging through the Village either. Better if he and Shi tried to deal with this before dad found out about it.

"Okay. We'll scan the Compound from the outside until we find him then go in. You'll go tell Hiashi-sama or Hanabi-sama and I'll get Shun,"

"Got it,"

The call ended but Hizashi put his phone away. He spotted Shi coming towards him from the outskirts of his vision field and nodded to his brother. Shi nodded back. They hit the Compound ten minutes later, easily avoiding the guards at the entrance and landing on some trees in the gardens inside the Compound.

Shi had taken the complete opposite end of Hizashi which would work perfectly. Hizashi re-focused his eyes and began scouring the Compound for his brother, Hiashi-sama, or Hanabi-sama. The major issue was whoever had taken Shun had a forty-five minute lead. It meant they would be in the Compound all ready and maybe...

No. Hizashi wouldn't think about someone putting the seal on Shun. Apparently only the clan head and next in line were allowed to learn it. Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama wouldn't do this to Shun. Hizashi had to keep believing that.

Shi was trying to get his attention. Hizashi focused his eyes on his brother and nodded. Shi licked his lips then started mouthing:

"Found Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama in the office. I'm going."

Hizashi nodded and Shi took off. Hizashi decided to Hell with Hyuuga rules and leaped into the Compound proper. He found a side entrance and ran through the hallways, easily avoiding anyone coming close to him. It made the trip through the maze worse but Hizashi had confidence in his ability to get back out. All he wanted to do now was find his brother in one piece and with a still unmarred forehead.

A scream tore through the Compound and Hizashi almost ran into a wall. He had _never_ heard anyone shout like that in his life but knew without having to ask the yeller was Shun. Too bad the sound echoed off the walls and Hizashi couldn't pinpoint the room. He ran and this time didn't care if anyone saw him.

Hizashi scanned the Compound as he ran but all he saw were former Main House members smirking. Any former Branch Member in the area had stopped what they were doing and gaped. They were all looking to Hizashi's left so he headed in that direction.

He saw into every room, ignored the Hyuuga either reading, changing, or meditating, and disregarded the linens, cleaning supplies, and other storage stuff as he ran. One room, tucked way into the back of the former Main House area was blocked to his vision. Hizashi had a feeling this room was where Shun would be.

At the complete opposite end of his vision field he spotted Hanabi-sama and Shi running towards this general direction along with various Elders, a few former Branch House members, and a few former Main House folk. Hizashi had a feeling they were all too late as another shriek ripped through the area.

He did make it to the sealed room then summoned his battle axe. It tore through the screen of the door and the wood with one swing but behind the door were six former Main House members between him and Shun.

Hizashi wished he hadn't learned to take in everything in a room in an instant because of his vision field and the fact he could see color where other Hyuuga couldn't. This image would forever be burned into his mind until the day he died and the loathing for the people of his clan rose higher.

Shun was being held down by four former Main House members in their late teens to twenties. Kanji surrounded them all in a massive complex circle and it all glowed green. One former Main House member, a much older man in his late sixties, sat at the head of the circle with his hands in a seal and muttering some words. Coming to life on Shun's forehead were two elegant lines and the symbol for peace in Buddhism.

Irony in the purest form right there.

Hizashi put this to the back of his head and focused on the six Hyuuga in his way. He swung his axe and all six were forced to back off or lose a limb. He couldn't keep swinging his axe and hoping they'd go away. No, he'd have to take them down.

Hizashi flung his axe to the one furthest from him then brought out his poison coated senbon. The five who didn't have a giant axe coming towards them ran at him but he flung out his senbon. As expected they all knocked the senbon aside but every one of them got a cut on the hand or arm they'd done it with. Hizashi kept his grin down. Now all he had to do was keep them busy until the poison made them fall over in a minute.

Shun probably didn't have a minute.

Hizashi drew out his new Bo and mercilessly drove the end of it between two of his attackers legs. He flung them both off, hit another right in the nose, and smacked the other end into the fourth's eye. He winced as that Hyuuga called out in pain since his eye exploded. Hizashi decided not to care as Shun kept wailing in pain.

The fifth whacked him in the back with a palm but Hizashi managed to move out of the way enough that the tenketsu along his spine hadn't been affected. Sure, he couldn't breathe properly but he could still fight. Hizashi flipped his Bo around and whacked the final Hyuuga over the head so hard the tip of his Bo snapped off. Damn it. Now he needed to find another replacement. He'd just gotten used to this one too.

Hizashi put his broken weapon to the back of his mind and spun to face the four Hyuuga who had stood from holding down Shun. The Caged Bird Seal on Shun's head was complete and glowing green. Hizashi didn't know how much time the seal needed to be finished but he wasn't about to wait around to find out.

Hizashi whacked two of his new adversaries in the gut with his Bo and they collapsed over his weapon then to the floor when he swiped it around to sweep out the legs out from under another then jam his Bo into the bastard's stomach. He kicked out with a leg, catching the other bastard in the knee then rammed the broken end of the Bo into the prick's upper thigh.

Now the person stopping him was an old man. Hizashi could deal with an old man. He was about to sling his Bo into the final jerk's face but the asshole looked up at him and smirked before eyeing the kanji on the floor. Hizashi stopped his weapon then glanced to the pattern on the ground.

It didn't take him long to see why the old jackass was smirking. If Hizashi stopped him, Shun's frontal lobe and brain stem would be demolished. He would kill his brother in trying to stop him from being sealed.

Hizashi dropped his Bo and it hit the floor with a clatter. He hadn't made it in time. Shun was going to bear the Caged Bird Seal for the rest of his life. Hizashi couldn't even make his face curl into a wince when he hit the ground hard with his knees. He didn't even miss the colors as they left his vision. He had failed in protecting his younger brother.

Worse, he had failed in protecting _Shun_ , the younger brother who hadn't been able to learn how to take care of himself. He had allowed Shun to be marked as lesser than normal, visually, not just on paper. Shun would forever carry the brand of being a weak Hyuuga. There was no undoing the Caged Bird Seal.

Hizashi hardly heard Hanabi-sama, Shi, and the Elders come into the room. He certainly didn't understand their screams of rage. He knew they weren't directed at him so he kept starting at his brother writhing in pain as the Caged Bird Seal kept glowing. Eventually the seal stopped glowing. Shun stopped crying out as the old Hyuuga fell sideways.

The kanji on the floor went out and Hizashi crawled through the writing so he could pull Shun into his arms. Shun's eyes were closed but he clung to the front of Hizashi's shirt as if Hizashi had made it on time and saved him. Hizashi pushed down his tears and hugged Shun as tight as he could, closing his eyes and ignoring the yelling competition going on around him.

"Hizashi,"

Dad's voice. Hizashi looked up but couldn't meet his dad's eyes. Hizashi had failed.

He did notice the Hyuuga he had injured and the old man were out of the room. Shi and Hatomi stood off to a side. Shi looked like he had been crying and hitting someone. Hatomi kept her gaze on the floor, her scowl so intense it felt like a physical blow. Too bad mom wasn't here. She would've blown up the Compound.

"Let us get him home," Dad said.

Hizashi nodded then pulled back a bit from his hug. Shun's white eyes met his and Hizashi hoped Shun saw how sorry he was for failing. Hizashi swallowed down tears when Shun touched his forehead then winced. Hizashi wanted to cover the mark but he had nothing. He heard a clatter then turned his head.

Dad had taken off his hitai-ate to reveal a black bandana. Hizashi could do nothing but watch as dad untied the bandana. Dad's Caged Bird Seal was revealed under the cloth and Hizashi stared at it. The marks hadn't faded in all the years dad had the seal nor would they ever. Hizashi said nothing as dad tied the bandana in place over Shun's head, under his hair, like it had been tied on dad's head.

Shun said nothing, simply staring up at dad with parted lips and tears in his eyes. Dad tied his hitai-ate into place to conceal the seal then let out a long breath. Dad's eyes were downcast but his mouth was set into a frown, lips pursed tightly to hold back any rage or other emotion dad wanted to express. Hizashi didn't miss the way dad's hands shook as dad got to his feet.

Hizashi helped Shun get up and followed his family out of the room. Dad led the way effortlessly towards some other side exit and they began to walk through the gardens. The flowers were starting to bloom but even under different circumstances Hizashi wouldn't have paid attention to the flowers. He couldn't see their colors anyway. Like a week ago, the walk was quiet.

They made it all the way home and into the house before anyone spoke and even then, it wasn't words. Dad walked towards the patio and Hizashi followed in curiosity as did everyone else. He gasped when dad started beating the crap out of a training dummy, hands laced with visible chakra so bright it almost looked like Lion's Heads even though dad couldn't learn the technique.

"Head hurts," Shun muttered.

Hizashi brought Shun back into the house and into his room. He helped Shun get changed into his sleep wear then tucked Shun into bed. Shun passed out instantly and Hizashi watched him for a moment in the darkened room. He jolted when Miruku leaped onto the bed, overshot but pretended she didn't then curled up near Shun's head.

Hizashi left the cat to guard his brother and closed the door so Shun wouldn't be exposed to any light and fewer sounds. He found Shi and Hatomi in the living room but dad was still outside. Hatomi stood stiffly halfway between the couch and the patio doors while Shi sat on the edge of the flat part of the couch. Hizashi stood in front of Shi but faced Hatomi.

"Those fucking bastards," Hatomi said.

Hizashi had never heard Hatomi swear. He didn't think she could. He did agree with her though and had a feeling dad wouldn't even have cared if he heard the f-word drop out of Hatomi's mouth. Hizashi was brought out of his shock by Hatomi slapping him across the face. He deserved it.

"Why didn't you call father and me?" Hatomi demanded.

She was contracting her words. Pissed was not a good enough word to describe her now. No word would do.

"Those former Main House members knew how to activate the seal," Shi said.

Hatomi glared at Shi and Hizashi watched, not even bothering to lift a hand to his now throbbing cheek.

"What could dad have done against them?" Shi asked.

"Father _could have_ told us where to look," Hatomi said between clenched teeth.

"I've got a feeling it was all ready too late," Shi said.

Hatomi blinked then her shoulders dropped and she let out a breath of defeat. She clenched her hands, unclenched them then shook her head. Tears had filled her eyes but she didn't look like she knew what to do. Hizashi did what mom would've done.

He hugged her.

At first she tensed up as if he was going to kill her or something but after a moment she relaxed, clung to the back of his shirt like she'd fall over without something to hold onto, and began crying into his chest. These were not the dignified tears Hatomi rarely employed, nope; these were full out, snot dripping out of her nose, cheeks turning pink, wrenching sobs that made her half-wail as she shuddered against him.

Hizashi kept her close, rubbing her back under her super long hair, and humming some old lullaby dad used to sing to them. Shi was there a moment later, head buried in their arms and his arms wrapped around both of them as much as he could. Shi didn't cry but he looked like he wanted to. Hizashi kept his tears back but closed his eyes and leaned his head on Hatomi's.

She smelled of sweat and lilac but Hizashi didn't mind. He held her as close as possible and made sure she knew it would be, well, not okay but something. It couldn't get any worse at least, right?

* * *

His hands hurt. Neji stopped pounding the training dummy and took a step back from it. His hands throbbed from the wrist to his fingertips and he studied them in the dying light. He had cracked every nail of every finger, made his knuckles bleed, and jammed a few joints in more than a few fingers. He would suffer for this for a week.

He did not care.

One of his children had been _sealed_. Branded, marked as weak not only to the clan but also to anyone who knew the smallest bit about the Hyuuga. The entire Village could now see Shun was not considered strong among the clan and not because he went to the civilian Academy instead of the shinobi Academy. He would carry the Caged Bird Seal until his death where it would seal his eyes. Eyes he could not even use properly, eyes that failed him when he tried to become a shinobi like everyone else in the family.

Neji let out a breath before he punched what was left of the training dummy. There was not much left to the straw man but a few scraps attached to the cement fence. It was no small wonder his hands hurt so much. He had likely been punching the cement for some time. Neji ran a sore hand through his hair before turning towards the patio entrance.

He blinked.

Hizashi, Shi, and Hatomi sat on the edge of the porch where grass met cement, watching him with blank expressions on their faces. No, not entirely blank. Hatomi's eyes were puffy from crying and her shoulders slumped in exhaustion. Her frown was deeper than her resting face and she watched him with inattentive eyes.

Shi's eyes were half-lidded and his lips had curled into a scowl no ten year-old should be capable of. He sat like Hatomi, legs in lotus position and arms resting over his legs. He was stiff to her slump, tense, and looked through him.

Hizashi's expression or lack thereof, was the worst. Hizashi's normally bright eyes, happy smile, and generally relaxed body language were replaced with dull eyes, an upset grimace, and a posture which spoke of defeat. Hizashi hadn't even sprawled across the grass like he normally did. He too had taken up a lotus position and wasn't fiddling with a weapon in boredom.

Neji approached his children then sat in front of them on the grass. All three looked at him but he noticed Hizashi would not meet his eyes, again. Shi had told Neji what had happened while the room was being cleared out and while Hizashi hugged Shun. Neji wanted to go to Shun's school to kill the teacher who let Shun go with a former Main House Hyuuga to be sealed. Neji also knew Hizashi, as the eldest and the one who had tasked himself to find Shun, blamed himself for Shun's seal.

The sealing process took at least half an hour. Judging by what Shi had seen in the room as Hizashi attacked, it was well underway before Hizashi and Shi got to the Compound. Nothing they would have done would have stopped it.

"This is not your fault," Neji said.

"Is too," Hizashi muttered.

For some reason his cheek was swollen and bruised. It had not been when they found him. Hatomi had likely hit him for not calling her and Neji. He wanted to laugh but could not make the sounds. Neji had a feeling he would not be able to laugh for a while.

"No, it is not. The process takes time and it was well underway before you and Shi even got to the Compound," Neji said.

Hizashi shrugged. Hatomi's eyes lowered and Shi's scowl deepened. Neji wanted to scream but kept this back as well.

"Even if you had called me or Hatomi, it would have come to the same conclusion. Once the process starts there is no going back," Neji said.

A bit of light came to Hizashi's eyes and he sat up a bit straighter. Neji was not lying about any of it. He had learned all about the Caged Bird Seal from his father. Looking back on it, father had been preparing him to have the discussion with his children. Neji had been so close to not having to talk about it.

"So, now what?" Hizashi asked.

Neji let out a breath and ignored his stinging hands.

"We cannot do much but be near for him. He will feel weak for the next few days and sleep a lot. He will not be able to eat much or be able to handle much light for a few days. Hopefully the symptoms will go away within two or three days but his age dictates they might stay up to a week. Normally the seal is applied to a child of four or younger. Any older and the symptoms stay longer," Neji answered.

Hizashi's upper lip curled in disgust. Hatomi sniffed as Shi gritted his teeth. Neji flexed his aching hands then looked at his abused digits. He needed to wash them, cover them in Hinata-sama's salve and wrap them but his children came first.

"So now those jerks can just hurt him whenever they want?" Hizashi questioned.

Neji could not say the word but his nod was enough. Hizashi huffed while Hatomi looked to the ground with damp eyes. Shi stood and stalked back into the house. Neji got to his feet and he followed his youngest child. His eldest children took up the rear as Shi began pacing the living room.

"It's not fair," Shi said.

"No, it is not," Neji said.

Shi whirled on him but Neji was prepared for an assault. He still let Shi get some good hits in because Shi needed to strike at someone. After a few minutes Shi wore himself out and collapsed into Neji's arms, shivering as if he was cold. He cried though, Neji could feel the wetness through his light shirt.

"It wasn't Shun's fault he couldn't be a shinobi," Shi said in a muffled voice.

"I know," Neji said.

"So why'd they do it?" Shi asked.

"To protect the Byakugan," Hizashi said.

Neji half turned to his eldest son and stared. He had expected Hatomi to understand but not Hizashi. Neji had forgotten his son was so brilliant thanks to Hizashi's normally lax attitude.

"People know in and outside of Konoha that Shun's not a shinobi but still has the potential to activate Byakugan even if he's never done it," Hizashi went on. "So, in order to protect the kekkei genkai they sealed Shun so if he's ever kidnapped his eyes can't be transplanted or used in anyway. He's also the only one of us that can't defend himself against a kidnapping so the former Main House see him as a liability to the clan. It's why they would've sealed me and Hatomi if we failed. We'd have been seen as weak and would have to have our Byakugan sealed away from people who want it. It's also why they'll seal you in three years if you don't impress them."

He had figured it all out and Neji could not help but be impressed. Hatomi nodded in agreement while Neji felt Shi sag. He patted Shi's back absently and Shi cuddled into him further.

"I hate our name," Shi said.

"As do I," Neji said.

This got a smile from all of them, small ones, but there. Neji opened one arm so Hatomi and Hizashi could join in on the hug and they came without prompting, Hizashi a bit roughly and Hatomi with a happy sigh. Neji held his children close and let out a long breath.

Hell would explode when Tenten found out about this.

* * *

She was tired as all Hell but the mission hadn't been hard, not really. The traveling had been the hard part, running through the rain and having to slow down for her two chunin escorts. As if she needed a damned escort.

Tenten had done her job, identified the weapon in question then sealed it as requested by Naruto. The swords of one of the Seven Shinobi of the Mist now belonged to her. Too bad there were still four of them out there. Eventually she'd possess the complete collection.

Tenten didn't know what would happen to the seven swords then. She probably wouldn't be allowed to keep them since the Mist would want them back. Tenten was fairly sure Naruto hadn't told the Mist what he was doing though. They would've stopped her years ago when all this started.

Tenten came to the gates of Konoha and went to the hokage tower. She didn't pay much attention to the civilians who watched her pass but she did notice a lot of them were staring at her more than normal. She realized the looks they gave her were pitying and Tenten frowned. What had happened in the week she was away?

A gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach started up and she wanted to go home. She couldn't though since Naruto had to be informed of her success first. So to speed things up, she leaped onto the roof closest to her and took off at top speeds. Screw the shouts of her escorts. She was in Konoha so no one would attack her.

Tenten made it to the tower way before her escorts and took the stairs five at a time. She didn't bother to knock when she got to Naruto's office and he glanced up at her loud entrance. His frown deepened and even in his eyes there was a sort of sadness reserved for her.

"Mission was a success. What happened?" Tenten asked.

Naruto let out a long breath before leaning back in his chair. He kept his arms on the arms of the chair but his hands clenched the edges so tightly the knuckles on his real hand were white. The bandaged fake hand had worn divots into the chair and would make the divots deeper with how hard Naruto squeezed the wood.

"There was an incident with the clan. It's best if you go talk to Neji," Naruto said.

All happiness and kindness which had always been in Naruto's voice before the war were gone. He had regained it after the war but somewhere along the line he had lost it again. Naruto looked older than his thirty-three years with deep wrinkles around his eyes and weariness to his eyes Tenten wasn't used to seeing on the normally joyful blond. Too bad Naruto's wish had changed him so much.

"You're not going to give me a hint, are you?" Tenten questioned.

Naruto shook his head and a sad smile came to his face.

"I like my office in one piece, thanks," Naruto said.

Tenten snorted then turned on her heel. She left the way she came and passed her escorts on the way out. They glowered at her but she ignored them. Her family came first and if something had happened with the clan it wouldn't be good.

She couldn't imagine the clan being able to seal any of her kids. Hiashi and Hanabi wouldn't allow it and they were the only ones who knew how. It meant someone might have used the seal on Neji for some reason. Maybe they had tried to kidnap her kids again and Neji had tried to stop them.

Tenten bit her lip and forced the panic making her want to throw up down. Naruto hadn't told her to go to the hospital so everyone was in one piece and uninjured. It couldn't be too serious then but she still worried. Something horrible had happened, bad enough all the Villagers knew and felt awful for her.

She made it home in record time and burst through the front door. The front room was empty but she heard the sounds of weapons hitting post and the whoosh of chakra hitting chakra. Tenten had to push Miruku aside at the patio door so she could get outside then shut the door in the cat's face with a clunk which made everyone stare at her.

Neji and Hatomi stopped in mid-spar. Hizashi had a senbon in his hands, prepared to throw it while Shi had been practicing his Revolving Heaven. Shun wasn't outside with everyone else. Tenten licked her dry lips and met Neji's eyes.

His white eyes were downcast, eyebrows lowered as if he was exhausted, and lips turned down in a mournful little frown. Tenten knew the look and had a feeling she wouldn't like what he said to her.

"Hizashi, Hatomi, Shi, go inside," Neji said.

All three nodded and without argument, passed her and went into the house. They had all kept their gazes down and Hatomi's eyes had gone damp. Even Hizashi looked upset and Tenten didn't like the implication.

"Tenten," Neji said.

She approached him like his tone wanted. Tenten stopped a yard away and he heaved a sigh. She hadn't seen him so upset since learning Guy-sensei would never walk again. Tenten felt her stomach lurch but waited.

"The day after you left for your mission, Shi went to go pick up Shun as normal but the teacher had allowed someone from the former Main House to sign Shun out," Neji said.

It was all he needed to say. If someone from the Main House had brought Shun to the Compound then she could guess the rest. Tenten forced her anger down for now and met Neji's sad eyes.

"Shi and Hizashi tried to find Shun but," Neji said then stopped.

He shook his head and looked towards the grass. Tenten let out a growl and attacked him. She knew it wasn't his fault, not really. He couldn't help which clan he was born into and he couldn't have guessed the former Main House would've tried something like this. At least she hit him with her fists and not the insane amount of weapons she had on her.

He let her hit him, taking each whack as well as he could and barely wincing when her fists connected with his flesh. She was yelling at him but she didn't know for sure what she said. She spotted bandages and glanced down.

Neji's hands were wrapped from the tips of his fingers to his wrists. One of the training dummies against the wall had been obliterated and Tenten could see cracks and divots in the cement from where Neji had pounded against it. She collapsed into his arms, wrapped her arms around his chest, and started sobbing into his shoulder.

The former Main House had sealed Shun. He would bear the same pain as Neji for the rest of his life and everyone in Konoha knew it. No wonder they looked at her with such pity in their eyes. She still wanted to hurt every single person she could.

"Is he," Tenten tried but choked on her phlegm.

"The majority of the pain has faded but he is still sensitive to daylight and occasionally his head throbs too much for him to sit up. Within a few more days he should be back to normal," Neji said.

"Besides having a seal on his head," Tenten muttered.

"Hn,"

Neji was exhausted. He had beaten up his hands then probably continued on making meals and obviously kept training the kids. Tenten pulled out of his arms so she could lift his poor hands into hers and kiss them. He hummed at her, head lowered, and a tiny smile coming to his lips.

"This isn't your fault," Tenten said.

"If I had not been born into the—"

"Then you wouldn't be you,"

"Hn,"

He sighed. She got up on her tiptoes to kiss him and he wrapped her in another hug. He hated being all touchy feely but he obviously needed to hold her. She didn't mind. Not now. She needed to feel his warmth as much as he needed hers.

They stood in the afternoon sun for a while, holding each other under the light. Eventually Hizashi, Hatomi, and Shi came back outside to join them and Tenten pulled her kids in with her. They came willingly and Tenten let out a breath. At least most of her family was safe.

* * *

I know, I know, I'm a horrible person for sealing Shun like that. But did we honestly think the Hyuuga clan would've left him alone as he was? Yeah, I don't see it. No, most of them didn't change much. Don't worry, we'll find out the punishment for those jerks next chapter. Till then, feel free to review.


	28. Road to Chunin

**Road to Chunin**

 **Author's note:** That's right, I'm going there.

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now. Though I think we've lost the kinky sex aspect of this story as I started focusing on the kids. Sorry about that.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

Also: thank you all for the reviews. I have a chapter of _Bonds: Memories_ but it's so filled with spoilers I can't post it. Sorry. Once I get some more going I'll post the side-fic. Enjoy. :)

* * *

"My precious students!"

It was far too early in the morning for Lee-sensei to be yelling as he did so she toned out his speech. Her head hurt enough from her thoughts, no need to add Lee-sensei's ramblings about Youth.

The two weeks since Shun's sealing had not been comfortable in any way but the symptoms were gone. The teacher had been fired, never to work as an educator again which gave Hatomi some small comfort. The school had been against it at first but Naruto-sama made short work of those protests.

Even so, she still wanted to destroy every Main House member of the clan. Hatomi did feel better knowing those who had helped in the sealing had all been branded with the same symbol. Four of them had died thanks to either age or the injuries Hizashi had hit them with before the sealing. Death had been too easy for the old Hyuuga who had done the actual process. Hatomi had wanted him to suffer but no amount of her will would bring him back so she could hurt him.

"In one month Konoha will be hosting the chunin exams where you will be tested on how..."

These words brought her out of her thoughts even though Lee-sensei's voice faded into the back of her mind when he went on about youth again, complete with tears of joy, and hugging Metal so close the teen could hardly breathe.

The chunin exams were a month away. Hatomi had every intention of testing for chunin at the beginning of summer and in the winter if they did not pass in the summer. She wanted to become a chunin so they could stop getting boring tracking missions or guarding missions. A chunin could leave the village for longer and there would be more of a chance to test her skills as a shinobi.

She could fight evenly with father and use the Twin Lion Heads attack. She would master the Palm Bottom and Tenketsu needle soon so in her mind she was all ready chunin material. As a chunin Hyuuga, the clan would be less likely to come after her or Shun. She glanced at Hizashi who despite the little smile on his face, had his thoughts focused inwards like she did.

He could pass the exams as well. He had held on against Hanabi-sama who was considered as powerful as father in terms of Hyuuga techniques. Hizashi had surprised Hatomi during the fight with the battle axe and the psyche out he had done on Hanabi-sama. He was ready.

She stared at Metal, ignoring the flush that came to her cheeks and studied him as a potential candidate for chunin instead of a teen she wanted to take her out. His kicks were strong, his punches powerful, and he could keep up to her and Hizashi for speed. Metal could hold them both off and had come close to beating her more times than she liked to count. They were ready.

"Are you prepared to face—" Lee-sensei began.

"I believe we are all more than prepared to enter the exams," Hatomi interrupted.

They needed to take every spare moment to train which meant Lee-sensei's big speeches would be more time-wasting than normal. Lee-sensei stared at her, eyes wide and lips parted. She smiled softly when Lee-sensei looked to Hizashi who nodded. Metal gave his father the Nice Guy Pose. Lee-sensei beamed.

"Then let us begin!"

* * *

Few times in her life did Hatomi regret her decisions. She did not hold any remorse for wishing to be chunin but Lee-sensei had driven them as hard as he could. He had forced them to run faster, longer, and carrying weights. They had climbed up a cliff one handed then back down with weights on their backs and no chakra involved.

They had practiced balance on thin wires, did handstand push-ups until they all fell over, and sit-ups until Hatomi could no longer feel the pain in her midsection. Once the grueling physical training had finished, Lee-sensei had sparred against all three of them in tandem. Hatomi had foolishly thought they had a chance as a team but Lee-sensei proved to be much stronger than she had ever anticipated.

He had opened the first four Gates and decimated them without an issue; even Metal who had opened up to the second Gate had been crushed. Hatomi had never felt so weak in her life but knew Lee-sensei's insane training would give her the extra boost she needed.

"Ow, ow, ow," Hizashi said beside her.

They were walking home. No, limping would be more accurate. Hatomi had never been in so much pain that her nerves had simply gone numb and left her feeling disjointed and a bit dizzy. Obviously Hizashi had not passed this point.

"We are almost home," Hatomi said.

"Another two hundred and fifty-four steps to go," Hizashi got out.

Hatomi raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled. It turned into a wince a moment later.

"I pulled that out of my ass," Hizashi said.

Hatomi snorted. She followed beside her brother as they continued down the street. He grimaced with every other step and Hatomi was glad there were two bathrooms in the house. They would both need a nice long soak. She would take hers after training with father.

"Home," Hizashi said.

She smiled at her brother's happy sigh. They walked through the front gate and into the property. Hatomi spotted father in the yard off to the side with Shi, sparring with Gentle Fist. Shi had always been decent at the Hyuuga techniques but father had been pushing Shi ever since Shun's sealing.

If Shi could not pass the Hyuuga's test in three years then he too would be sealed and no one in their family wanted to see it. This was why Shi did not complain about father pushing him to the point of breaking. Mother spotted them and grinned.

"Going for chunin, huh?" mother asked.

Hatomi would never figure out how mother knew everything without needing to question. It likely came from years of being with father and learning to read a person by minute body language. Mother could tell they had a more physically demanding training session and likely knew the date of the chunin exams.

"Yes," Hatomi said.

"Ow," Hizashi mustered.

Mother chuckled. Hatomi almost missed the senbon mother tossed their way but knocked most of them aside. Hizashi caught the others. Apparently they were not waiting until after dinner to train. Hatomi did not mind so much but had a feeling her body would protest later.

Hatomi activated her Byakugan and sunk into Revolving Heaven when _hundreds_ of senbon came at her. Hizashi had dodged away, letting Hatomi deal with the needles but within moments he was attacking mother with his Bo. Hatomi stopped spinning and stared for a moment.

Shi and father had stopped sparring but father had a small smile on his face. He nodded. Hatomi hummed under her breath but charged towards father. Shi came onto the offensive on _her_ but Hatomi smiled. She loved her family.

* * *

Kami, hot water felt _great._ It loosened all his muscles and he could feel the stiffness going away the longer he sat in the steaming tub. So what if Lee-sensei had beaten them to pulps and mom had almost made a pincushion out of him? The water loosened him up and all Hizashi could do was grin stupidly.

Thank Kami mom and dad had an extra big tub in their bathroom or he'd be all crunched up funny. This would be the one time, first of many he guessed, he was happy to be kicked out of the main bathroom by his sister.

He didn't even care the water smelled like vanilla and the bubbles had disappeared from it ten minutes ago. Sure, his fingers were like prunes and his skin was probably a deep pink but damn this water felt _awesome._ He probably shouldn't be resting his head so the water lapped at his chin but he didn't care.

His parents could be doing _things_ in their room and he wouldn't even mind. All his joints were loosening, his muscles were uncoiling, and the dirt from training was being washed away. He couldn't be any happier than he was in this moment.

It was crushed when the bathroom door opened and Hizashi pouted. At least it was dad who walked into the room. Hizashi wasn't exactly covered by suds anymore and he didn't want mom to see him naked. That'd be too weird.

"Hizashi, it is time to come out," dad said.

"Aw, but I don't wanna," Hizashi told him.

Dad's lips curled into a little smile and he chuckled. Hizashi kept pouting as dad sat on the edge of the tub.

"You have been in here for forty-five minutes," dad said.

Wow. That was a really long time. Hizashi didn't care. He could _live_ in the nice warm water. No he couldn't since Dad had pulled the plug. Hizashi sighed as the water escaped down the drain and stared at his dad in annoyance.

Dad smirked at him, a small thing, and Hizashi sighed heavily before getting his tired body to move so he could rinse off. He should've known dad would be immune to the annoyed look. It wasn't that dad didn't care, dad loved them all, but dad had been raised on a team with Lee-sensei and Guy-sama and had been raised traditional Hyuuga. Normal emotions didn't affect dad.

"You suck," Hizashi says.

"So long as your mother enjoys it," dad said.

Hizashi balked as dad chuckled at him. Jeez, bad enough Hizashi knew all about the sex dad and mom had, he didn't need to be reminded of it. Dad left but not before giving Hizashi a wink. The comment did work to get his ass moving, rinsing off in hot water then drying. Okay, so maybe dad knew what he was doing.

Hizashi dressed in his boxers and a loose tee shirt he would take back off once he got to his room. He stepped into his parents' bedroom to see it (thankfully) empty with the bed made neatly as normal. Even if they had done something while Hizashi was in the bath, all evidence of it was gone now. It was the least he could ask for.

Hizashi stepped into the hallway with his bathing supplies and dirty clothes to see Hatomi come out of the bathroom in a towel. He gaped and almost dropped all his stuff. The towel barely covered Hatomi's butt and strained against her massive chest.

Long damp hair to her knees did better to cover her back and ass better than the white fluffy towel that hugged her wet curves. Hizashi shook his head and huffed as his sister trotted across the hallway, not sparing him a glance before disappearing into her room. He would buy her a bigger towel for Christmas. He didn't need to see her almost naked.

He made it to his room, tossed his toiletries into the corner, gathered up all his dirty clothes, and strode back down the hallway. Dad wasn't in the living room when Hizashi strode into the main area of the house. The patio doors were open and Hizashi could hear the whoosh of chakra as it hit other chakra. Dad trained with Shi then and Hizashi didn't blame dad.

There were three of them who needed to train with dad: Hatomi to finish learning the rest of the Hyuuga techniques to prepare her for the chunin exams, Hizashi to perfect the Hyuuga techniques he knew for the exam, and Shi to prepare for the spar in three years which would determine if he would be sealed or not. Too bad they couldn't clone dad.

"Want some help?" mom asked.

Hizashi nodded and saw Shun sat on the porch with Miruku beside him, watching dad and Shi. Shun hadn't been back to school yet but Hizashi had a feeling his younger brother didn't want to go back. Bad enough the other kids made fun of him for being a Hyuuga in a civilian school, now they would make fun of him because of the curse seal.

Hizashi knew when he made chunin in a month with Hatomi he would have more clout in the eyes of the Hyuuga clan and the former Main House wouldn't _think_ of coming after his younger brother's again. Too bad he and Hatomi hadn't become chunin earlier. Hizashi forced a smile on his face.

"Yeah, okay," Hizashi said.

Mom got off of the floor where she had been cleaning off and sharpening someone's sword and walked with him into the laundry room. Hatomi's laundry hamper was all ready in the room and it looked like she had done one load before bathing. Hizashi wouldn't have believed Hatomi had managed to get a load going after their sparring sessions today.

He stood by while mom separated his clothes into a dark, colors, and light pile then handed her stuff from Hatomi's hamper. They fell into comfortable silence as they worked until Hizashi picked up a garment of clothing then balked.

"What?" Mom questioned since her back was turned.

Hizashi tossed Hatomi's bra to his mom and she caught it easily then looked at it. She giggled at him and Hizashi huffed. He went to the washer and began pulling clothes out of it to put in the dryer. He stopped this too when he got to a pair of Hatomi's underwear.

"It's just not my night," Hizashi muttered.

He tossed the panties onto the rest of the pile of Hatomi's clothes while mom kept laughing at him.

"She does your laundry without complaining," mom said.

"Yeah but she can pretend my boxers are just shorts. I can't pretend her underwear isn't lacy and so not bathing suits," Hizashi said.

Mom rolled her eyes but kept sorting. Hizashi started the dryer and helped mom get a load of clothes into the washer. They left everything else where it was before heading back into the kitchen. Hizashi sighed when he spotted Hatomi on the couch wearing a shirt with tiny sleeves and a pair of shorts that should've been underwear. The shirt was so tight across her chest he could _see_ how cold it was in the room.

She was brushing her hair on the flat part of the couch, oblivious to the fact him and mom were heading towards her. Well, she couldn't be completely oblivious. She wasn't a shinobi because of her family name alone. She did glance up when they got close enough and Hizashi saw she probably wasn't wearing a bra, not with the way her, okay, this was too much.

"Would you put some clothes on?" Hizashi asked.

Hatomi blinked at him, one eyebrow rising in question. She didn't stop brushing her hair nor did she move to cover herself.

"Are these not clothes?" Hatomi returned.

Hizashi ignored mom who snickered before going back to the sword on the floor. Hizashi huffed.

"Yeah but _more_ clothes would be nice. I don't need to see you almost naked. You're my sister," Hizashi said.

Hatomi stopped brushing her hair for a moment then smirked before going back to it.

"It is not my fault you cannot help being a male," Hatomi said.

Hizashi decided it better not to argue with her. He sat beside mom on the floor and focused on the sword. It wasn't one of mom's that was obvious. The hilt was too ornate and the fuller had kanji on it while the point was purely decorative. Someone in the Village had a useful piece of metal turned into a decoration and Hizashi didn't know how to feel about it.

"Sucks, huh?" mom asked.

"Huh?"

"The sword, such a great piece of metal but all it's going to do is hang on someone's wall to look pretty,"

"Yeah,"

Hizashi was glad he wasn't alone in his thoughts. He did hear Hatomi chuckle but didn't bother to look up at her. Mom was shining the sword, taking all the dirt and dust out of the delicate kanji writing. She would sharpen the blade but not to her normal standards.

"Should've seen it when it came in, all rusty and dull, poor thing," mom said with a tsk.

Hizashi couldn't imagine how people could let their weapons, even the decorative ones, get dirty and dull. It was an insult to the weapon to have it fall out of use. Speaking of, Hizashi had a bunch of kunai to clean. He went to his room and came back with his weapons belt and cleaning supplies. Mom smiled at him as he brought out his kunai and began to clean them beside her.

Hatomi finished with her hair and she was the one to get her clothes out of the dryer, move the washing into the dryer then put another load in. She brought her dry clothes to her room and they didn't see her for a while.

"Seriously though, can't she wear more clothes?" Hizashi mumbled.

"You wouldn't complain if it was anyone else," mom mentioned.

He opened his mouth to protest but she was right. Hizashi felt his cheeks heat but went back to the dull kunai in his hands. If any other girl had Hatomi's figure and wasn't blood related to him, well, yeah, he wouldn't mind her dressing in little clothes. But Hatomi was his sister and he had to protect her.

"It's a brother thing," Hizashi said.

"I know since you're dad's the same. You just don't want her getting hurt by some horny guy but you keep forgetting she could probably cut off some very important tenketsu before the guy even got her down," mom said.

Hizashi laughed at the thought. Yeah, Hatomi would definitely put a stop to any guy who tried anything she didn't want. He wouldn't even know what hit him until everything started hurting. Hatomi came back into the room a few moments later and raised her eyebrows at them.

Hizashi said nothing as he cleaned his kunai and mom cleaned the sword. He did snicker when dad came in with Shi and Shun a few minutes later. Dad almost fell on his face when he caught sight of Hatomi.

"Where are the rest of your clothes?" dad asked.

Hatomi rolled her eyes as Hizashi kept laughing. Mom snorted.

"No one is going to walk through the door and rape me while we all sit here watching," Hatomi said.

And there was the bluntness. Hizashi kept his chuckles back at dad's deadpanned face. Dad shook his head then strode across the living room, obviously intent on ignoring Hatomi. He went into the laundry room as the dryer dinged and Hizashi kept sharpening his kunai. He said nothing when Shun came to help him with Miruku by his side and Hizashi kept his gaze away from Shun's covered forehead.

"How do get them so messed up every night?" Shun questioned.

"Target practice," Hizashi said.

"Well you should practice more so they're not as nicked," Shun said.

Hizashi snorted at his brother and comfortable silence filled the room. Dad came out of the laundry room and deposited another load of laundry into Hatomi's room and a load into Hizashi's room. Hatomi had started doing a bit of yoga while Shi mediated on the floor beside mom. Dad came back into the room to see them all sitting on the floor and Hizashi saw dad smirk.

"We have a perfectly good couch," dad said.

"Yeah but then we'd put holes in the couch," mom said.

"The floor promotes better stretching poses," Hatomi said.

"The couch makes me feel too relaxed and I want to meditate, not sleep," Shi said.

Hizashi laughed at dad who sighed and shook his head. Hizashi laughed harder when dad jumped onto the couch and stretched out on it before getting comfortable. Hizashi noticed dad had a smile on his face as he lay out on his side, watching them all. Harder missions would be great but Hizashi would always love spending time with his family.

* * *

They had spent the past month training harder than they ever had in their lives. Neji had to keep thinking this as his children went to bed on the eve of the chunin exams. By this time tomorrow night, Hizashi and Hatomi would be with Metal in the Forest of Death. He would be right there with them but his job would not be to protect them. No, he would be searching for any critical injured or dead to bring back to the tower.

"Stop thinking so much, dumpling, or your pretty face will stay like that,"

Neji raised an eyebrow at Tenten who grinned at him. She would be waiting in the tower to test and prospective chunin before sending them off for a good meal and a warm bed before the first round fights. Hinata-sama would be in the forest with Neji as would Kiba and Shino, all of them tracking those who could not make it back to the tower of their free will.

Lee would be in the tower with Tenten. Choji, Ino, and Shikamaru would be hosting the written portion of the chunin exams. Ibiki would be announcing the Forest of Death portion. Shikamaru had written the exam while Neji had help the others set some of the traps. As if the forest was not deadly enough.

"Seriously, stop thinking,"

Neji sighed and succumbed to his wife's gentle touch. They lay in bed, him in his briefs and her in a pair of panties with nothing on top. His head was on her stomach and she ran a hand through his hair. He had been in the Forest of Death last year when Konoha hosted the chunin exams and had not considered the implications of saying yes to being in the same spot the next time the exams came to Konoha.

"Neji,"

"I cannot help it," Neji said.

"I know. You'll be worried you'll see our kids either dead or close to it while hunting through the forest. How do you think I'm going to feel when their team comes into the tower and I have to attack them? Or how _Lee's_ going to feel?"

She had a point. Still. He should be allowed some ability to sulk. She massaged his scalp and he let out a long breath. In three years they might be worrying about Shi in the same way. Shi might be in the desert so at least Neji would not have to worry about finding his son's body.

"You know, we're going to be away for at least three days,"

Neji grinned. He shifted until he straddled her then took her lips in his. She rolled him over and pinched his nipples hard which made him thrust into her. His hands went to her waist, tugging off her panties and tossing them to a side as she made short work of his briefs. She stayed atop him, tugging his hair with one hand while the other pinched his nipple. Tendrils of pleasure rolled down his body and Neji hummed into the heated kiss.

She had him sheathed a moment later and Neji pushed into her which made her groan. She rode him, upper body lifting so she could clutch the headboard as she drove her hips into his over and over. Neji grabbed onto her breasts, rolling her nipples between his fingers and she rewarded him with a motion of her hips that almost undid him.

Neji pushed his hips up into hers and they shifted against each other enough to make the springs of the bed creek under them. Neji didn't care. The kids were old enough to know what adults did at night.

Tenten climaxed with a gasp and Neji allowed his body to release. They shivered together but she stayed in position, hovering above him with a smile on her face. Neji massaged her breasts in his hands and returned the smile. She shifted until they lay together, her on his left, and him with his head on her breasts.

"That help?"

Neji inclined his head. He felt good, not tired, but not worried enough to linger long in the waking world. Some of their toys might have been nice but honestly they had to be up in seven hours in order to leave on time. He could not afford to be sore or beat up before entering the Forest of Death. He did have a job to do.

* * *

Hatomi had _not_ enjoyed the morning of the chunin exams. Mother and father had not been up making breakfast nor were they in their room. It had left her and Hizashi to cook and get dressed before meeting Metal at the registration building. Worse, now they stood in line with all the other genin from the shinobi world and waited.

The sun was up in full force but Hatomi could not complain. She wore leggings which went to her knees, a white shirt with a collar that buttoned to under her neck and hung to her mid-thighs, and a black obi around her waist. Her shirt did not have sleeves and as per her style it puffed out to look like a skirt once past her hips. She wore fishnet sleeves from her mid-forearm to mid-bicep and ankle high black shinobi sandals.

Her hair in its typical style when she went on missions: French braided to the nape of her neck then tied off so the rest hung free to her knees. She wore her weapons pouch and a med pack with a few ration bars in both.

Hizashi, standing in front of her had donned loose black shorts, a white shirt similar to father's short sleeved shirt, the same elbow accessories, his weapons belt, a weapons pouch, and a med pack like hers. His hair was tied in a low pony tail at the back of his head and he wore standard issue shinobi sandals on his feet.

Metal was in his typical green spandex, orange leg warmers, and orange neck scarf topped with his shining bowl cut. Metal's red hitai-ate encircled his waist, Hatomi's was around her neck, and Hizashi's was around his right bicep. They were one of the few teams wearing their hitai-ate out of normal forehead position.

Behind Metal was a group from Suna, then Waterfall, Sarada's team, Suna again, Grass, Wave, Stone, Cloud, Suna, Stone, Stone, Cloud, Chocho's team, Mist, Frost, Waterfall, Wave, Grass, Suna, Suna, Cloud, Waterfall, Frost, Grass, and finally another Leaf team. They seemed to be outnumbered this time around but Hatomi did not mind.

The line moved forward and a team from the Mist entered the building alone. Two minutes passed then a team from the Cloud entered. Three minutes this time then Suna. Hatomi had no idea what was going on but would find out in two more teams. Finally Hizashi walked through the doors and Hatomi shivered at the assault of air conditioning.

A single table had been set up in front of a set of stairs. Behind the table sat Anko-sama with two Leaf shinobi Hatomi did not know. A single box sat on the table and Hatomi wanted to use Byakugan to look inside. Hatomi had a feeling she would be disqualified on the spot and she had not spent the past month being beaten to almost death every day to be kicked out before the exam even started.

"One of you put a hand in the box and draw out one slip of paper," Anko-sama said.

Metal moved before Hizashi could. Metal pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Anko-sama who grinned. Hatomi did not like the look of the grin.

"Floor three," Anko said.

Hatomi hummed but led her brother and crush up the stairs. They passed the second floor and made it to the third untouched. Another Leaf shinobi Hatomi did not recognized pointed at the double doors at the end of the hallway. Hatomi continued to lead her team to the double doors. Metal pushed them open and they stepped into a room full of shinobi, none of which had the Leaf hitai-ate on their heads.

It was mainly Suna and Cloud with a team of Stone and two teams of Mist. One from Frost, Wave, and Waterfall stood with them. Hatomi kept her face impassive as she realized she and her teammates were the youngest people in the room. Everyone else was at least sixteen if not older. Hatomi did not like the implications of it as they stood off to a side, alone in a room full of strange shinobi.

Beyond the crowd of shinobi were rows of desks like in the Academy, all attached and all with a single sheet of paper face down on the desk. A pencil with an eraser sat atop the paper and on the blackboard were the words: "no peeking under threat of immediate failure."

Time passed but the next group to enter were more Cloud shinobi. Twenty more minutes went by before the door opened again to admit a group from the Mist. Another group from Suna and Hatomi had a feeling no other Leaf Shinobi would be in the room. No matter. She had her brother and Metal.

Half an hour passed from the admittance of the last team and Hatomi knew it was taking too long. The door did not open but everyone heard the lock click shut. Hatomi did not bother to glance at the door and noticed both Metal and Hizashi had the same calm look on their faces as she had on hers.

A different door opened and Nara Shikamaru strode into the room, shoulders slouched and a tired look on his face. Everyone turned to look at him as he yawned. He flicked on the giant timer at the front of the room but did not allow it to start counting down from a two hours.

"Whoever picked the number gets to sit in the first row till it fills up then second row, and what not. Let's move it,"

Hatomi frowned as Metal walked away from them. He made it to the middle of the first row as other shinobi filled in around him and behind him. The first two rows were filled.

"Next, the youngest between who's left in the third and forth rows,"

Technically this was her. Hatomi nodded at her brother before managing to get a seat two back from Metal. Once the seats were filled, everyone else filtered in behind. Hizashi had gotten the seat two back from her and she let out a breath of relief.

"Collectively your team needs one hundred to pass. Question one is worth twenty points, question two is worth thirty points, and question three is worth fifty points. So yeah, that means each member is only allowed to answer one question. Sure, you could turn around to signal your teammates but you'll fail and not be allowed to take the chunin exams for a year. You can also tell your teammates which question but any verbal remark is an automatic fail for that team. At the end you'll have to turn over your papers and wait for the final question. Even if you get over a hundred on the first three, if you answer the fourth one right then you pass. Any questions?"

Hatomi gulped. Hizashi could easily tell which question she answered as he could simply activate Byakugan and look. They had no way to tell Metal which one he had to answer. Judging on the questions, he might not even be able to answer the one worth fifty points.

"Good. You've got two hours starting now,"

He hit the timer and it started counting down. Hatomi licked her lips and slowly, _carefully_ , activated Byakugan partially, enough she could see Hizashi and Metal flip over their papers and regard the questions. She turned over her paper and stared.

Never mind Metal not being able to answer one question, _she_ might not be able to answer the fifty point question and she had been top in the class. That question was all about trajectory and weapons she barely heard of. It would take the entire time for her to figure out the logic, never mind getting a question to Metal to struggle through. Hatomi took out a breath and let it out slowly. Hizashi was signaling her.

He tapped his desk three times which meant he would take question three. It made sense. He knew the most about weapons. She gave a tiny nod and Hizashi pursed his lips. His eyes flicked to Metal and she shrugged minutely. She did see Metal sitting calmly at the desk with his head up as if waiting for a signal. Hatomi considered.

She knew how they could do this. The problem was relaying it to Hizashi without turning around or speaking. Hatomi looked down at her paper and grinned. She began to write. Hizashi raised an eyebrow at her but nodded when she was done.

She did her part and waited while Hizashi began on his. When he was done, Hatomi erased what she had written on her paper and went about figuring out the second question. The first had been easy and Hatomi knew her brother could figure out the third.

She contained her laughter when ten minutes later a senbon flew between her feet, pinged off the desk in front of her then whapped into Metal's leg warmer. He blinked then pretended to scratch his leg. Once he was done, he unravelled the scrap of paper he had pulled from the senbon into one hand, and began to copy Hatomi's answer from the first question onto his paper.

The people near Metal gave him confused looks but he said nothing. Shikamaru-sama hadn't even noticed or if he did it had been subtle enough not to fail them for cheating. Hatomi finished the second question and noticed Hizashi still worked on the third. They had half an hour left.

He finished with minutes to spare and Hatomi let out a breath. Shikamaru-sama yawned as the timer dinged.

"You, you, and you: nice trick but too obvious, fail,"

The Suna shinobi gaped but got to their feet and left. Hatomi gulped as Shikamaru continued eliminating teams. Two chunin walked into the room as he did and Hatomi let out a breath as her team was left standing. Half of the people in the exam room were gone.

"In case you didn't know, this was a test to see how well you could communicate to your team without looking at them or talking which is what happens a lot of the times. Also, it was a test on how well you could cheat seeing as really only two or three people in this entire exam room could've answered the third question. Now, you'll have ten minutes to answer question four. The same rules apply: no talking and no turning around."

Everyone nodded. Hatomi flipped over her paper like everyone else and put a four on one side, ready to write down the question so she wouldn't forget it. Shikamaru-sama cleared his throat then began to speak:

"You and two shinobi you don't know well are on a mission together. You're ambushed by rogue shinobi and one of your teammates is injured. If you don't escape now, you might die but if you do escape and leave the teammate you don't know behind to die then you and the other guy will live. Do you stay and keep fighting or do you leave the injured person behind?"

Hatomi gaped. Others had the same expression on their faces. Save a stranger and potentially die or let the stranger die and live. Hatomi knew if she was on this hypothetical mission with her brother and Metal she would stay and fight. They were her family and her potential love interest.

But, the injured stranger would have a family and possibly a love interest like her. Who was she to decide her life was more important than someone else's? Hatomi wrote "stay" on her paper and met Hizashi's eyes. The smallest of grins appeared on his face and he nodded.

Another senbon and Metal pretended to scratch his other leg. Hatomi saw Metal's shoulders tense but in a happy way. If he could he would have turned around and given them the Nice Guy Pose. As it was he wrote "stay" in huge letters across the middle of his page.

"Time's up. Raise your hand if you said you'd leave,"

A dozen hands went up. Shikamaru-sama smiled.

"Then leave,"

Hatomi kept her smile back as the four teams left the room, looking absolutely defeated. Hatomi handed in her paper to the chunin coming around then realized it hadn't mattered. She let out a breath of annoyance but waited.

"For the rest of you: you've passed the first portion of the exams,"

The first portion. Hatomi blinked. What in the world were the other portions going to be like? She had asked mother and father but they had stayed silent on the matter, obviously not allowed to say too much. Hatomi waited as Shikamaru-sama rolled his shoulders.

"For the second portion of the exam you're to head to training area forty-four, to the first gate,"

Hatomi felt a chill race down her spine. Training area forty-four, dubbed the Forest of Death, for good reason so she heard. Littered with poisonous fauna, flora, and insects, home to bears, tigers and other wildlife, it could potentially kill them. Then again, they were testing to be chunin where going on a mission might mean their deaths.

Hatomi stood with the rest of the group and headed for the stairs. Metal and Hizashi fell into step with her and together they headed towards the training fields. Certainly they would not be sent into the area if it was entirely unsafe, correct?

* * *

Hehe, I know I'm evil. Reviews welcome.


	29. The Forest of Death

**The Forest of Death**

 **Author's note:** This arc might take a while. Sorry, but totally not sorry. So I've finished writing this story and we're ending at chapter 48. Yes, there are still 19 chapters to go. Also, I'm going to eventually be working on a companion piece to this which is all about the sex...no plot. *winks*

 **WARNING:** Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now...though the most sex we've had is quick vanilla sex in the last chapter. If you've come for the sex, I'm sorry.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Training field forty-four, otherwise known as the Forest of Death. It was probably named really well and Hizashi tried not to linger on it. Didn't matter, he wouldn't think about the place and its name until they were in it. Then he figured he'd be too worried about you know, _living_ , to worry about the name of the place.

They made it to Gate One on field forty-four way ahead of everyone else. Hizashi studied the steel-wire fence in front of him topped with barbed wire and holding what looked like a regular Konoha forest behind. Judging by the evil aura radiating from the place, it wasn't a normal forest. Hizashi noticed a bunch of booths around the place all with a tent overtop. Shinobi wearing the Leaf hitai-ate sat at the booths with a bunch of papers on tables in front of them.

They all had two boxes behind the table and it looked like the tent would close once a team was inside. Another test after they wrote one, go figure. Well, this was a promotion to chunin. People had to be ready for it.

Some teams from Suna made it next. Hizashi was happy to see Chocho's team had made it and happy to see Sarada but not so pleased to see Boruto and Mitsuki. Mist, Grass, Waterfall, Cloud, Stone, and Wave filled out the ranks. They had started with close to six hundred. They were down to less than half of that.

"Good afternoon,"

Morino Ibiki was a huge man, over six feet with broad shoulders, muscular arms and a face full of scars. He wore a scarf over his head to cover more scars and was dressed in typical shinobi attire except for the long black coat he wore. Yeah, it was fitting to have Ibiki; head of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation division tell them about the Forest of Death.

"For those who don't know, the area behind me is restricted to anyone but chunin level shinobi. It's called the Forest of Death where if the plant life doesn't kill you then the animals or insects will,"

That shut up anyone talking. Ibiki grinned. It wasn't a good look for him. Hizashi saw Hatomi narrow her eyes slightly and Metal shiver a little. Yeah, this wouldn't be fun and Ibiki hadn't even explained the rules.

"At least half of you won't pass the second part of this exam,"

Now a bunch of people looked ready to piss their pants. Hizashi gulped.

"Each team will go into a tent, sign a consent form which basically says it's not Konoha's fault if you die in there, and receive one scroll,"

The consent form wasn't a comforting thought. Hizashi clenched his hands to stop from playing with something on him.

"You can get one of two scrolls: Heaven or Earth. In order to pass this portion of the exams you _must_ obtain both scrolls and bring them to the tower in the middle of the forest in three days,"

Oh this wasn't going to be fun. Hizashi knew he and Hatomi had enough ration bars to last for two days and they had told Metal to pack a few. Even still, they hadn't been given a lunch and would be forced to hunt something in the forest either today or the last day. Maybe they could make it to the tower before the time limit. They did have the advantage of having two Byakugan users on the team. Hatomi could see to six hundred meters now.

"The forest has a radius of ten kilometers,"

Well crap.

"And is home to many varieties of poisonous creatures and fauna. Don't forget, you'll be directly competing with at least half of the people here and you won't even know which team has the scroll you'll need. Once everyone who wants to continue the exam signs the form and the team gets a scroll, we'll finish up with the rules,"

No one moved for a few minutes. Metal let out a whoop of excitement and ran towards the closest booth. Hizashi sighed but followed his teammate, trying to ignore the little smile on Hatomi's face. Once they were inside, the tent was closed.

Hizashi signed his name on the form as did Hatomi and Metal. They were given offered a scroll and for several moments, they stared at it. The shinobi in front of them smiled.

"One of you has to take it and hide it," one said.

Hatomi hummed then took the scroll, Heaven, from the shinobi. Hizashi was about to say he could hide it when Hatomi undid the top few buttons on her shirt and shoved the scroll between her breasts. The two male shinobi gaped, blood dripping out of their noses. Metal fell over with a choking sound and all Hizashi could do was stare as Hatomi arranged her boobs around the scroll then did up her shirt.

She raised an eyebrow at all the men staring at her then shrugged. Hair flicked over her shoulder in a queenly way and she crossed her arms under her bust. It didn't even look like she had anything hiding under her clothes.

"They have to be useful in some way," Hatomi said.

Hizashi groaned, grabbed her by the arm, snagged Metal's scarf in his other hand, and dragged them both out of the tent. A few curious teams looked over but Hizashi ignored them until they were clear of the booths. Hizashi let both his teammates go.

"Seriously," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

They stood in silence until everyone gathered with their teammates. Hizashi couldn't see anyone's scroll and had a feeling he'd be disqualified if he activated Byakugan before they were in the forest. Ibiki went to open his mouth but was stopped.

"We have the Heaven scroll,"

Hizashi turned to Metal who had shouted loud enough to gather _everyone's_ attention. Hizashi didn't know whether to kill Metal or thank him for solving the problem of finding the Earth scroll.

"If anyone believes they are youthful enough to take it from us, come and try!"

No one spoke. Metal yelped because Hatomi whacked him over the head. Hizashi rubbed his eyes and waited for people to stop snickering.

"That's one way to get the exam done quickly," Ibiki remarked with a grin.

Hizashi sighed and looked to the jonin. Ibiki waited for everyone to settle. Hizashi took a good look around and noticed there were fewer people than before. Some had all ready dropped out for fear of the Forest of Death. He wasn't about to let a stupid thing like fear let him fail.

"You'll each be told to go to a particular gate and when it opens you'll be allowed to enter. We say no killing your opponents but we don't have enough proctors to watch all of you. There are four of them this year and I'll tell you they _are_ allowed to break up fights, fail you, and they will be there to drag your corpse out if you do die. They are as follows,"

That was a somewhat comforting thought. At least if anyone got majorly hurt they would be found.

"Inuzuka Kiba, jonin and tracker of Konoha,"

Not just any tracker shinobi, _the_ tracker shinobi with one of the strongest noses in the Inuzuka clan. This made Hizashi feel decent.

"Aburame Shino, jonin and instructor at the Academy,"

Shino-sensei likely had bugs all over the forest all ready. Hizashi no longer had doubts about the forest. Even if he didn't know the other two shinobi, he'd feel safe knowing Shino-sensei and Kiba-sama were there.

"Uzumaki Hinata, jonin, wife of the Hokage and Hyuuga former Main Branch. Her son Boruto is in this exam,"

Hizashi saw Boruto scowl as people turned to look at the blond. Hizashi didn't know how to feel about Hinata-obasan being a proctor but it made sense. The three were from the same tracking team. At least Hinata-obasan knew some medical jutsu. A few people were beginning to realize _who_ the three were and gaped.

"And last but certainly not least: Hyuuga Neji,"

 _Dad_ was a proctor. Now Hizashi felt all the nervousness come back. Dad would be watching whether they passed or failed and they wouldn't even know since he could see two hundred meters further than Hatomi.

"Jonin and considered one of the strongest Hyuuga in his generation. Interestingly enough, his kids are in this exam. They're on the team with the kid who shouted out what scroll they have. If you know what's good for you, you might _not_ want to pick on the team with two Hyuuga,"

Hizashi smiled and waved at everyone who looked at them. Hatomi raised an eyebrow and glared at anyone daring to challenge her while Metal gave a nice-guy pose. Maybe if they could look confident under the pressure they would feel better.

Ibiki started handing out Gate assignments and Hatomi led the way to gate thirteen, their lucky draw. Speakers were set up above the Gate and Hizashi spotted a camera as well. He sighed and studied the Gate with a frown before facing his sister and best friend.

"So, what's the plan?" Hizashi asked.

"Kick as many butts as possible," Metal answered with a fist-pump.

Hatomi smirked.

"Besides kicking as many butts as possible: Hizashi you and I will scan the immediate area for a team which suits our needs but we will head towards the tower regardless. Once we find said team, we will take them down. Once we have an Earth scroll in our possession we will head straight for the tower without rest. I have studied the maps of this training area and the tower is located five kilometers from our current location in the north-east direction. The quicker we get through this portion the better off we will be,"

Hizashi agreed with his sister but did want to laugh at her foresight in reading up on the place. She'd probably looked into the typical places used for chunin exams and went from there. Where she had found the time to do it, well, he'd ask her later.

Their Gate opened. Hizashi activated his Byakugan and the world leaped into color. He followed Hatomi and Metal through the gate and onto the nearest tree. The Gate slammed shut two seconds later but none of them looked back.

The trees of the forest were massive, easily some of the biggest trees he'd ever seen. Directly below them was a patch of poisonous mushrooms and three, no, _four_ different poisonous snakes. A centipede the length of his arm was hanging out on a tree ten yards to his right while a bear prowled fifteen yards to his left.

"This way," Hatomi said.

She led them in the correct direction: due north-east and they followed. So far there were no teams in their direct vicinity. The forty remaining teams had been separated though so there was way more room between the entering teams then Hizashi had wanted. It didn't matter. They'd find someone and if they didn't, well, they'd hit them at the tower.

Hizashi tried not to think of dad being out there somewhere and focused his eyes on searching out a human chakra source. Sure, Hatomi would be able to see where the scroll was hidden but unless the symbol was pointed towards her she wouldn't know what it was. He could see the color of the band around the scroll so his team would rely on him to find the perfect match. Hizashi grinned.

"Four hundred meters due east, Earth scroll held by Mist, guy with the mask over his face has it hidden under his shirt," Hizashi said.

Hatomi nodded. Metal was vibrating as he ran.

"Hn, average chakra levels unless they are repressing it which I doubt. Armed about average and they have ration bars. Shall we?"

"Yep,"

"YOSH!"

Hizashi laughed. Metal's excitement was infectious. He didn't mind. It meant they didn't have to fake feeling confident.

* * *

The Mist shinobi would never see them coming. Hatomi motioned with her right hand and smiled when her brother and potential lover moved. Hizashi disappeared from Metal's line of sigh but Metal knew not to mind. The green-clan shinobi did take off until he could hardly see her through the trees. Hatomi knew Hizashi could see the Mist shinobi now.

She got into position twenty yards away from the Mist shinobi to their left and started falling into pace with them. Metal went deeper, ten yards from them while Hizashi circled around behind them until he was ten yards from the Mist shinobi's right. Hatomi put the first two fingers against her lips and both nodded. They would go on her whistle. She lowered her fingers and studied the shinobi in front of her.

The man with the mask had the most chakra and it made sense he carried the scroll. He was tall, bulky, with neat hair and squinting eyes. He wore regular shinobi attire but had a sort of toga wrapped around his body.

The female of the group wore light shorts, a light shirt with no sleeves, and a light vest over the ensemble. Her hair was cut short, to the shoulders and if not for the breasts Hatomi could have mistaken the woman for a man. Her chakra was average.

The other male was short, as tall as her, with longer hair in a messy style, who wore dark pants and a light jacket over a mesh shirt. He had slightly lower chakra than a normal genin and Hatomi had a feeling he would be a taijustu user. She pointed to Metal then motioned low with her hand. He nodded.

She turned her face to Hizashi and he waited while she mouthed: _Fling out something to distract them first but make certain you hit the one with the scroll to weaken his chakra. I'll take the woman, you take him._

Hizashi nodded and unraveled a scroll from his belt. Metal was all ready moving close as was Hizashi. Hatomi did as well, ten yards away now while Metal was five. The three shinobi below them had not noticed them yet. Hatomi let out a low whistle to match the calls of the birds she had heard earlier and moved forward.

Hizashi struck first and a barrage of kunai, shuriken, and senbon rained over the three Mist shinobi. They all gaped in wonder at the sudden onslaught but managed to dodge more than Hatomi would have liked. At least the man with the scroll had a few senbon sticking out of tenketsu points. His chakra flow had weakened to about average now.

The weapon assault was perhaps two seconds from being over when she and Metal leaped towards the shinobi. Metal went in for a head kick as he headed towards the shortest shinobi and Hatomi landed in front of the stunned woman. She got a solid palm to the woman's slender waist before the woman realized she was there.

"Oof," the woman gasped.

She skidded backwards four yards as Hizashi, Bo in hand, attacked the largest of their opponents. The man Metal fought had so far been able to hold out against the obviously faster and stronger green clan shinobi but Metal was simply testing the man. Hizashi had taken out more tenketsu, using his Bo as a distraction before sweeping in with a hit.

Hatomi easily flowed into taking out the woman's chakra points and the woman began to slow more than before. The woman glared when she realized she could not summon chakra as she had been hoping. Hatomi kept her face neutral as she fought.

"I guess your tits are a good indication of your talent," the woman said.

Hatomi snorted at the supposed insult or distraction and rammed her palm into the woman's shoulder, taking out all the tenketsu in the woman's right arm and upper right chest, including some points around the lungs. Hizashi had brought his opponent down to pure taijustu and Metal was still playing with the genin he fought.

"I could finish this with one strike, as could my teammates. If you give us your Earth scroll then we will let you have enough chakra to defend against the creatures here and ultimately live," Hatomi said casually.

The three exchanged a glance then nodded. They grumbled but the large man tossed Hatomi the scroll. She checked it over for genjutsu then bowed low to the group.

"Thank you," Hatomi said.

She took off with Metal and Hizashi following behind. The Mist shinobi didn't come after them but Hatomi had figured they would not. She corrected their path and kept moving as she tossed the scroll to Hizashi for safe-keeping. Now all they had to do was survive until they made it to the tower. This would not be difficult.

The five kilometers to the tower could be pulled off in less than a day even with the rough terrain. By tonight, they would finish the second test, get to eat a warm meal, and rest in an actual bed while everyone else fought through the Forest of Death. Hatomi grinned at the thought and kept moving, still scanning the trees for anything which might attack. Father would be so proud.

* * *

Neji wanted to do a little happy dance when he spotted his children and Metal take the Earth scroll from the Mist shinobi without breaking a sweat. He had seen Hatomi had done all the planning and had been the one to warn the Mist shinobi of the lack of chakra which would come from a fight with two Hyuuga.

Better still, the three were on the correct path to the Tower and unless someone or something attacked them, would be facing down either Lee or Tenten for the final test before resting while waiting for the third portion. Neji let a smile spread across his face then headed towards the injured Mist shinobi.

They were grumbling, annoyed they had been beaten by three thirteen year olds, but they had enough chakra to survive and possibly get two scrolls from two other teams. Neji passed the dejected Mist shinobi and scanned the area around him. He wanted to follow his children but he had a job to do.

Neji kept gliding through the trees but no team needed assistance. It had been a few hours since the start of this portion of the chunin exams so he did not expect anything to get interesting so soon. During the last day the fights would become desperate as teams fought to get to the tower while low on chakra.

Neji spotted Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki at the edges of his vision perimeter and shifted to follow behind them by a few hundred meters. They were not hurt but Boruto seemed to be arguing with Sarada about something. Mitsuki had a grin on his face and Neji had a feeling the girl's decision would be over-ruled.

Neji changed direction enough so he could read the lips of the two and frowned. Apparently Boruto wanted to head straight for the tower to lie in wait to ambush whatever group hit the tower first. Sarada wanted to get the scroll first. Either way, they were headed towards the tower at the moment in almost the exact direction his children and Metal had taken.

Neji knew his son, daughter, and god-son were the quickest of the genin teams, just as his team had been the fastest team and still was. Unless Hatomi, Hizashi, and Metal were caught by the forest itself, they would make it to the tower well before Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki. Even so, Neji stuck behind the Uchiha, Uzumaki, and the snake's child.

He could not help being curious.

* * *

Hizashi plucked a piece of shell out of Hatomi's hair and she scowled at him. They had run into a giant centipede, almost literally. The insect had literally appeared out of nowhere for both him and Hatomi then wrapped around Metal to digest him or something. Metal had broken free; the thing went after Hatomi so Hizashi blew it up.

The rain of bug guts, legs, and shell had _not_ been pretty. Hatomi wore most of it but he and Metal had taken a hit. They smelled gross, they felt sticky and damp, and they had pieces of hair and shell sticking to them.

"Disgusting," Hatomi muttered.

"Next time I'll let the giant bug kill you," Hizashi said.

She huffed at him and tried in vain to brush some of the guts off her. She grimaced at the long string of what looked like snot extending from her arm to her fingers where she had tried to get it off.

"I _could have_ Vacuum Palmed it, dolt," Hatomi said.

Hizashi plucked a piece of leg out of her hair. Jeez, if she kept her hair to her waist like a normal person they wouldn't need to take so long to clean up.

"Aw, but then I wouldn't have gotten to test my explosives," Hizashi said.

"My clothes are ruined,"

"Hey, it could've been worse. It could've you know, tried to eat you,"

"I can handle myself, thank you very much,"

"Eh, big brother instinct,"

"You are _two minutes_ older, you dolt,"

"So?"

"Hn,"

She flicked her hair into his face and he huffed. The problem with the bug guts getting all over Hatomi was her shirt had gotten soaked and had gone kind of see-through. Hopefully the guts would dry which would make her shirt conceal her chest again. Hizashi figured it might take a while for bug guts to dry.

Hizashi stared at Metal when he walked right up to them, one hand over his eyes and the other extending a spandex suit towards Hatomi.

"Hatomi! Take my spare suit so you are not forced to stay in your ruined clothes!"

Hatomi's right eyebrow did a weird twitch and she let out a huge breath. Hizashi eyed the suit, eyed Hatomi and tried not to laugh. Hatomi liked to be fashion-inclined and from what Hizashi had heard, the green suits were not in style in any way, shape or form. Even so, Hatomi either had to stay in her bug gut covered clothes or wear a spandex suit.

Hizashi bit his lip to keep his laugh back when Hatomi grabbed the suit from Metal. She sighed heavily as Metal gave her a thumb up and smiled even though his eyes were still covered. Hizashi stopped wanting to laugh when Hatomi unwound her obi right there and let it drop.

"The Hell?" Hizashi asked.

He ignored the way his voice had squeaked as Hatomi began unbuttoning her shirt. She raised and eyebrow at him then pulled the shirt off.

"You are my brother. As we share blood, I doubt you are going to like what you see under my clothing," Hatomi said.

He groaned. She had a damned good point but still. Hizashi focused his Byakugan out instead of near but still could see as Hatomi took off her shoes then her tights. Her panties hardly covered her butt and rode low on her hips. Hizashi gaped when her hands went to her back to take her bra off.

"What are you doing?" Hizashi squeaked.

Hatomi raised an eyebrow at him.

"It got through to my bra. Trust me, I am not pleased about this either as it will be painful to run without support," Hatomi said.

Hizashi groaned and wished he could shut off Byakugan. If he did then they would lose the advantage they had. He did see Hatomi roll her eyes and activate her Byakugan. Hizashi immediately deactivated his and turned his back on his sister. She snorted.

A few moments passed and Hatomi sighed. Hizashi did not risk looking back.

"I am decent," Hatomi said.

Hizashi turned and decided the bug gut covered clothes would've been better. At least Hatomi's ruined clothes didn't cling to her like they had been painted on and no one could see her nipples in them. The scroll still couldn't be seen between her breasts but damn they looked bigger without the support of the bra. They looked bouncier too.

He heard a thud and saw Metal had fallen backwards, both hands over his nose to stop the gush of blood. Metal had the biggest grin on his face and Hizashi knew the green-clad shinobi didn't hide any kunai between his legs. Hizashi didn't know whether to kill Metal or laugh at him which made Hizashi stare stupidly at his friend.

"Hn, Hizashi, can you seal my clothing into one of your scrolls? Perhaps there will be a way to clean them once we get to the tower," Hatomi said.

Normally he would rant about how he wasn't supposed to be used as a method of storage, thanks much, but he didn't argue. If Hatomi could get back in her regular clothes and not the way too tight in all the right (wrong, damn it, wrong) places then he'd carry her entire wardrobe if needed.

Hizashi got her clothes into one of his scrolls and spotted her smirking at Metal. At least her hair covered her butt. Metal got to his feet but his nose kept dripping blood. His entire face had turned a deep shade of gray, red when Hizashi activated his Byakugan. Metal's red face had nothing to the shock of blond hair coming towards them.

"Boruto's coming," Hizashi said.

Hatomi's Byakugan activated and she frowned. Sarada was a few steps behind Boruto while Mitsuki was in line with him. The trio hadn't seen them yet and Hizashi knew they could outrun and out-maneuver the other team. Hatomi led the escape and Hizashi saw what Hatomi meant about running with no support.

Her boobs _bounced_ with every step she took and she had to hold onto them to stop them from jolting her so much. Since her hands weren't in proper running position, she couldn't gain the speed they needed to outrun the other team. Hizashi had never been more annoyed at his sister's boobs in his life and by the snarl on her face, she felt the same. Maybe he should've been a better storage unit and kept a spare set of clothes for all of them in his scrolls.

As it was, their reduced speed allowed Boruto to spot them. He didn't inherit the Byakugan from Hinata-obasan but he had gotten better than 20/20 vision. Hizashi saw Boruto tell his team who was close and grinned when Sarada said to leave them alone. Boruto and Mitsuki disagreed as both figured Hatomi, Hizashi, and Metal had a full set of scrolls.

"They will attack us," Hatomi said.

"We can take 'em," Hizashi said.

"Hn, the question is: do we _want_ to?" Hatomi asked.

Hizashi thought about it. He wouldn't mind kicking Mitsuki or Boruto's ass and knew Hatomi and Metal felt the same. They were all good friends with Sarada though and only a Byakugan user could go against a Sharingan user.

"We might not have a choice," Metal said. "Father told me the chunin exams proper mean fighting against friends in a battle so even if we try to avoid them now, we might face them later."

Metal had a great point. Hizashi met Hatomi's eyes and she frowned but nodded. Boruto and Mitsuki had overruled Sarada who scowled but went along with the plan. She didn't look like she liked the idea though.

"So, who fights who?" Hizashi questioned.

"Metal will be at a disadvantage fighting Sarada so either you or I will have to fight her. Metal, try to take on Boruto. Hizashi, you go for Mitsuki. I will fight Sarada,"

Hizashi wanted to hug his sister, not just because she had taken away the awkwardness of fighting his crush but she'd given him the opportunity to beat the crap out of the prick that had made Boruto a jerk.

"Ah, wise plan," Metal said.

"Want me to make them porcupines first?"

"Of course,"

"On it,"

Hizashi spun in with his next leap as he unravelled another scroll from his belt. His insane aim combined with his Byakugan meant he could pretty much disable the three coming at them without an effort but he knew they would dodge. Hizashi grinned. This would be fun.

* * *

The plan had gone exactly as Hatomi had wanted. Hizashi unleashed a plethora of senbon, kunai, and shuriken at Boruto, Mitsuki, and Sarada which allowed her and Metal to attack right after the weapon assault. Hatomi noted Hizashi had flung fewer weapons at Sarada but would not chide her brother on this.

Metal had instantly gone after Boruto, punching the blond in the stomach so hard Boruto had almost thrown up right there. Boruto's Uzumaki blood gave him the stamina to push through and the duo began to spar. Hatomi saw quickly Metal would have the advantage.

Hizashi unleashed another barrage of weapons at Mitsuki who had to work to dodge. Even then, the other teen received more than a few cuts in his clothes and skin when Hizashi switched from long-range to close-range with his Bo. Hatomi blocked Sarada's attempts at strikes but knew the other girl was not into this fight.

Even so, Hatomi struck out where she could but did not do the damage she could have. Sarada knew it; Hizashi could see it, and none of them minded. Boruto and Mitsuki would need Sarada in mainly one piece to help them get their bruised egos back together.

"I don't want this," Sarada said softly.

"I know," Hatomi said.

"Stupid boys,"

"Hn,"

She saw Hizashi land a rather brutal hit to Mitsuki's skull with his Bo then follow it up with a palm laced in chakra to Mitsuki's mid-section, cutting off seven tenketsu and halving the output of Mitsuki's chakra. Metal kicked at Boruto's head but Boruto got both arms up to block. Even so, the blond skidded across the forest floor a few yards but Metal raced in towards him.

"Sarada, you're supposed to be fighting the big-titted bitch, not practicing with her," Mitsuki said.

The difference between her and Hizashi became evident. Hatomi let the comment roll off her without issue but Hizashi who took after their sometimes emotional mother scowled and his hits became more focused on doing physical damage to the other teen. The strikes became less precise, a bit wilder, and Hatomi frowned.

"Then again, she might knock herself out with those things before you have to do anything,"

As much as she hated Mitsuki, he knew the correct buttons to push. Hizashi's scowl became a snarl and the chakra went back to normal in his hands as he curled both hands around his Bo. All sense of Hyuuga grace left his fighting stance as he moved into mother's pure taijustu with weapon supplement style. Mitsuki had begun to dodge more strikes then Hizashi intended which made Hizashi _more_ frustrated.

This would not end well.

"Come on Sarada, all you have to do is make her jump too much and you'll win. Let gravity work with you,"

"Stop talking about my sister like that!"

"Make me, reject Hyuuga,"

Hatomi winced. Hizashi flung away his Bo and slammed both fists into Mitsuki's midsection. It made the other teen double over but the grin on his face made Hatomi worried. A moment later, Mitsuki opened his mouth and a _snake_ darted out of it. Hizashi could not get out of the way in time and the snake bit him in the left forearm.

Hizashi slammed two fingers into the head of the snake and its head blew up. Mitsuki _hissed_ then his neck elongated. Kami, Mitsuki fought like his father. Hizashi's eyes went wide and he backtracked as Mitsuki tried to bite him.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands,"

That did _not_ sound good. Snakes erupted from both of Mitsuki's jacket sleeves and began to attack Hizashi. Hatomi could not help him from this distance, nor could Metal. Mitsuki's shift in battle had allowed Metal to become distracted for a split second and Boruto landed a kick between Metal's legs which caused Metal to fall to the ground in pain.

"Revolving Heaven,"

Hatomi smirked as Hizashi sunk into the chakra spin which shredded Mitsuki's snakes. Senbon flew out of the chakra dome and slammed into 128 of Mitsuki's chakra points, cutting them all off and making the other teen fall to the ground with a stunned look on his face. Boruto was about to slam a fist into Metal's face but she could not have that.

"My apologies,"

"Wha—"

Hatomi slammed a Lion's Head into Sarada's middle which set her friend flying into a tree with all her torso chakra points dimmed. She leaped into the air and sent a Vacuum Palm into Boruto's direction as Metal ducked. The Vacuum Palm sent Boruto across the small clearing and right into a bramble bush where he got tangled. Hizashi stopped spinning and huffed.

"Dolt," Hatomi told him.

"Yeah, yeah, we still won," Hizashi muttered.

"Hn,"

She did not bother to argue. Instead, she took the Heaven Scroll from Mitsuki with a smirk. He glared at her as she flicked it into the air and caught it. Hizashi had put away the weapons he wanted to retrieve then stood with her over Mitsuki. Metal joined them after a moment and Hatomi regarded her brother and potential boyfriend.

"Well?" Hatomi questioned.

"We do not need a scroll," Metal answered.

"Yeah, but attacking your own Village, making a friend fight a friend, and insulting Hatomi," Hizashi said.

"It was very un-youthful," Metal said.

"Not to mention stupid. I mean, who openly attacks the guy who beat him at the beginning of the year?"

"And why would someone insult your beautiful sister and her youthful form?"

"Don't go there,"

Hatomi snorted at her brother's sour look. Mitsuki kept glaring at them and she spotted Boruto trying to struggle out of the brambles. Sarada was attempting to stand but the lack of chakra stopped her.

"So?" Hatomi questioned.

"Boruto and Mitsuki don't deserve it, not after this stunt. I do feel bad Sarada is stuck on a team with the idiots though,"

"Agreed my Eternal Rival! Boruto, Mitsuki; now you must prove your youthfulness by gaining two scrolls!"

Hatomi nodded at her brother then her Metal. She flicked the scroll into the air and Hizashi grinned. He tossed a bomb and the scroll exploded into a million pieces above their heads. Paper rained down over Mitsuki as Boruto gaped and Sarada scowled at Boruto.

"Enjoy the rest of your time in the forest. We are heading to the tower and the rest of the chunin exams. Perhaps we will see you there," Hatomi said.

She leaped towards a tree branch and smiled when Metal and Hizashi followed. She didn't mind having to hold her breasts as they took off towards the tower. They would be there before nightfall while Boruto and Mitsuki would have even less of a chance to join them. She did pity Sarada thought. No one deserved to fail because of idiot teammates.

* * *

Neji watched his children and Metal leave Boruto, Mitsuki, and Sarada behind after destroying the groups' Heaven scroll. He was not sure what to feel or even how to express said feelings. Pride in Hatomi came first as she had proven herself to be able to handle any remark thrown at her while keeping up a fight and defending her teammate. He also wanted to lend Hatomi a shirt so she did not have to run around in the spandex which made her look practically naked besides the color.

Disappointment at Hizashi for allowing himself to be riled up at the same comments though Neji could not help but be impressed at his son's modification to the Revolving Heaven. He wanted to laugh at the looks on Boruto and Mitsuki's faces but he wanted to pity Sarada. Even so, her family name made him dance in glee that she might not make it to the tower with a complete set of scrolls. This made Neji loathe his thoughts.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

The three were definitely considered injured and only he or Hinata-sama could reactivate their tenketsu enough so they could try to move on. As proctor, he had a job to do and despite disliking the three for exceptionally different reasons, he had to do his task.

Neji moved out of his hiding spot six hundred and ten meters away and landed in the middle of the small clearing easily. Mitsuki's scowl deepened as Sarada flushed and Boruto pouted. Neji said nothing as he went to Sarada first. She was the lesser of all evils and honestly, she could not help her family name.

One strike and her chakra flared back into existence. She thanked him with a low bow of appreciation. Neji followed her as she ran to Boruto then Sarada none-too-kindly tugged the blonde out of the bush. Neji hit the tenketsu to give Boruto's chakra back and the boy muttered an ungrateful sounding thanks.

Neji strode to Mitsuki and blinked. Hizashi had hit dead center of one hundred and twenty-eight tenketsu points with senbon needles while maintaining a Revolving Heaven. Neji would have to tell his son later how proud he was of him.

Neji began removing the senbon with Sarada and Boruto's help then struck the proper points to get Mitsuki back on his feet. Orochimaru's son thanked him with a scowl. Neji stepped back from the three once they were on their feet and mainly together.

"Yes, I did see it all. I followed the three of you, by the way," Neji said.

Sarada winced. Boruto huffed and crossed his arms over his chest while Mitsuki kept glaring at him.

"I hope you learned your lesson about facing down Hyuuga," Neji said.

Sarada nodded but Boruto and Mitsuki kept glowering. Neji let out a little breath and wondered if anything would get through to the two. Perhaps if Boruto spent less time around Mitsuki he would have a chance. It would not happen in the near future, unfortunately.

"Good luck with the rest of the exam. Try not to make any further mistakes, hm?"

This made Sarada whack the two boys in the back of their heads and tell them it was their fault they were down their scroll. Neither argued with her but both looked annoyed. Neji turned on his heel and began to stride away from the group.

"Stupid big tits," Mitsuki said.

Neji gritted his teeth but glared over a shoulder at the teen. Mitsuki visibly gulped. Boruto took half a step back and Sarada gaped.

"You are lucky my son has more respect for his peers than to do what Boruto did to Metal. It would have hurt much more if he had. Perhaps _you_ could learn something from Hizashi,"

Boruto bowed his head, scowling and clenching his fists. Sarada flushed while Mitsuki's shoulders sagged and he gaped. Neji left the three standing in the field and headed in the opposite direction of the tower. His job was not finished but now that he knew his children and Metal would make it to the tower it would be easier.

* * *

Poor, poor Hatomi and haha, Hizashi being all protective over her. Hehe, Metal got more of an eyeful than he ever imagined. Yes, I do dislike Mitsuki and Boruto's character rubs me the wrong way. Don't worry though, he'll see the light...maybe. *winks* As always, reviews welcome.


	30. The Tower

**The Tower**

 **Author's note:** Told you this arc was going to be long. It's the chunin exams, dang it, I've got to go through all the battling and stuff.

 **WARNING:** Rare bondage sex between a submissive Neji and dominate Tenten. Mention of (Hatomi's big) boobies. If either bugs you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Tenten sat on the floor in the middle of a huge empty room. In front of her was a door, oak, scarred, and regular sized which would lead out into the Forest of Death. Behind her was a second door, also dark oak, scarred, and normal sized except this one lead into another room where whoever managed to get around her would give their scrolls to Iruka-sama then head to one of the many showers in the tower. The team would then get to wash up, sleep, and eat until the end of the third day.

Most people didn't make it to the tower until the end of the second day or sometime during the third day. It meant most teams would be able to shovel some food into their mouths; _maybe_ , wash up then would have to head straight to the room in the basement where the preliminary round of the chunin exam battles would begin.

One team had made it on the first day in all of Konoha's history and that had been Team Gaara oh so long ago. Some teams had made it the morning of the second day but beside these few instances, all teams generally took until the third day. It was why Tenten read a book on weapons in her room.

She had set a trap on the door behind her and hidden a few explosive tags under gray paper which matched the floor around the entire room, even on the ceiling. The room _looked_ bare and that was the point. Tenten remembered a chunin exam where Kurenai had been a proctor for this part of the test and every team who entered her room were trapped in a genjutsu instantly.

She had cut out half the teams who had managed to get both scrolls brining the overall number of participating teams down to four that year, the lowest in the chunin exam history. No one minded but Kurenai hadn't been asked to be a proctor again, at least not for room duty. She was waiting behind the desk attached to Lee's room.

Lee had turned his room into an obstacle course. Whatever team entered Lee's room would have to fight against the room itself before taking on Lee. Tenten didn't know if her room was worse or Lee's but they would definitely weed out the weak.

They had been told by Ibiki forty teams had entered. Twenty would make it to either her or Lee's room. Maybe they might beat Kurenai's record of lowest number of teams. It wouldn't take Tenten long to re-set her explosions and Lee's obstacle course reset itself. Besides the camera above the door leading into the forest would tell her when a team was an hour out and how many teams there were heading her way.

Only one team was allowed to enter at a time as stated on the door and in the case of multiple teams arriving at the same time, Tenten could take as long as she wanted to reset her room before allowing the next team entrance. She could also call Lee on the cell phone given to them by Naruto to let him know whether to take longer or not let anyone in.

Unless a team showed raw talent they could only let ten of the teams through. The kids probably all believed they would get through so long as they had a set of scrolls but that wasn't the case. They were going through the strain of this exam for a damned good reason. Chunin level missions were rare and tougher than before the war and a few years after. A shinobi _had_ to be ready.

Her camera dinged and Tenten blinked. Ibiki had opened the Gates a mere twelve hours ago. Average shinobi running over a flat 10km terrain would take perhaps half an hour, Team Guy and now Team Lee could do it in twenty minutes. Running through a forest sometimes quadrupled that speed. Running through the Forest of Death _should_ at the very least times that speed by a hundred.

The camera told her she had half an hour, maybe, for the team to hit her then came to life to show her which team headed her way. Tenten was glad she was sitting down as she would've fallen over if she hadn't.

Hizashi, Metal, and Hatomi were heading towards the tower. Hatomi wore one of Metal's suits and had to hold onto her boobs to stop them from bouncing too much and Tenten wanted to ask what in the Hell had happened to her poor girl's clothes. Hatomi wouldn't have put on Metal's spare suit unless she absolutely had to.

The phone ringing beside her made Tenten jolt and she picked it up. Years of training with her teammate had made her wise enough to keep the phone away from her ear as Lee started shouting.

"Our children! They made it first! They might even beat Gaara-sama's record! And Hatomi, er, she should not wear the spandex. Please do not tell Guy-sensei I said that."

Tenten laughed but agreed not to tell Guy-sensei Lee had said Hatomi shouldn't wear the spandex. Tenten hoped Neji hadn't seen her in the skin tight suit or he would've had a heart attack.

"Doesn't look like Metal would agree with you there, Lee," Tenten said.

Lee made a bunch of choking sounds and Tenten heard him fall over. She giggled. Lee groaned but started going on about how youthful Metal's intentions really were. Tenten told him to focus and he warned her not to go easy on the kids if they entered her room. She shot it back at him and hung up, a little annoyed.

Go easy on her kids, yeah right. She had been beating Hizashi within an inch of his well being almost every night for the past month. The poor kid was a living bruise under his shorts and shirt. They'd only stopped the beating seven days ago so the kids had a chance to heal up. Even so, some of Hizashi's skin was still yellowish and Tenten was sure in any non-shinobi society what she had done to her son probably would've been considered child abuse.

Tenten got to her feet and licked her lips. She kept her hands loose at her sides and watched the monitor. The kids had stopped in front of the tower, in the bushes lining the clearing right before it and Hizashi and Hatomi were scanning for traps. The walls all around her had been treated with chakra to stop Byakugan so neither child could see what awaited them beyond the doors.

Hizashi spoke first: _door one or door two?_

Hatomi frowned while Metal looked between the two doors. Tenten knew hers was marked "Heaven" while Lee's was marked "Earth." A funny play on their names, Tenten knew, but Shikamaru liked to have a sense of humor sometimes.

Hatomi spoke next: _Heaven and Earth. I have a feeling it does not mean the scrolls._

Hizashi stared at his sister and a frown came to his face: _You think it could mean there's another test beyond the doors?_

Hatomi with a snort: _Of course there is another test. It will likely be another proctor we have to get by in order to hand in the scrolls. Now, who do we know who could represent Heaven and Earth?_

No one spoke for all of two seconds then Hizashi's eyebrows went up, his mouth dropped, and the veins disappeared around his eyes. Metal fell over, face first into the grass, and Tenten couldn't help being proud of her daughter.

Hizashi recovered before Metal: _You mean_ mom _and_ Lee-sensei?

Hatomi nodded: _Yes. So, who do we want to face?_

Hizashi activated his Byakugan and frowned in her general direction. Tenten could see the wheels turning for all three of them. They knew Metal could take on his father but Lee would win if he went all out. They also knew Hizashi could take on Tenten but again, he might fail when she went all out. They all knew both her _and_ Lee could fight against a Hyuuga and their opposite because Team Lee was the new Team Guy.

Hizashi shook his head: _Either way we're going to have a tough battle on our hands. Sure, Metal can challenge Lee-sensei and I can challenge mom but they can still whoop our butts. Plus Lee-sensei's fought against a Hyuuga and a, well, me and mom's fought against a Hyuuga and a Lee-sensei. It's not who we want to face, really, it's more who_ can _we face, emotionally?_

Hatomi nodded at her brother and Metal began tearing up: _I do not think I could physically hit my father to knock him out, not yet._

That clinched it. Hizashi patted Metal's shoulder and told him not to worry about it. Hatomi went on to explain they may have a better chance with Lee as both Hizashi and Hatomi wouldn't mind giving the knock-out blow while they might hesitate with their own mother. Hizashi revealed he might not be able to hit Lee-sensei that hard because he respected him too much and Hatomi opened her mouth. She closed it before saying a word then frowned: _So we face mother?_

Hizashi sighed and ran a hand through his hair: _Yeah. Mom might've hidden explosives around the room but we'll be able to see them. Lee-sensei probably set up some insane obstacle course you probably can't hold your boobs through._ Hatomi glared at her brother but she had a blush on her cheeks. Hizashi shrugged: _Besides, if we fight mom, you won't feel so embarrassed about being in that suit._

Hatomi blinked, kept blushing then inclined her head in agreement. Tenten rolled her shoulders and stood with her legs shoulder width apart, her hands on one of her bracelets. Hatomi pursed her lips and spoke: _And not to offend mother but she may go easy on us, subconsciously at least. Her main instincts are maternal whether she likes it or not._

Tenten wanted to seethe but Hatomi was probably right. Sure Tenten could beat her kids in trainings but this would determine whether or not they would make it into the preliminary matches of the chunin exams. Well, at least they were first.

The three moved. Tenten opened her scroll and prepared herself. The door opened and she pushed chakra into the first seal on the scroll while the door closed behind the three and she shouted: "Ocean!"

Salt water burst out of her scroll and rushed towards the three who leaped into the air. Tenten stomped a foot and the bombs above her kids' heads exploded. Hatomi reacted first, shifting so she was above her teammate and her brother before sinking into an aerial Revolving Heaven. The spin was enough to stop any major damage but Tenten leaped. Her ocean would fill the room with standing water eight feet deep.

She landed on it perfectly and watched as Hatomi stopped spinning. Hatomi landed gracefully on the surface of the water. Hizashi stumbled but caught himself before sinking. Metal feel right through then sputtered to the surface. Hizashi pulled him out but even so, Metal had not been able to learn how to walk on water. Tenten knew it. Lee had mentioned a few weeks ago plus Lee hadn't mastered it until they were past their first chunin exams.

The biggest problem with the three fighting her is she remembered all of _Team Guy's_ weaknesses from when they were younger and could use those against the new Team Guy. She had to remember Hatomi was technically a stronger version of thirteen year old Neji and Hizashi, the thirteen year old her, could use Hyuuga techniques. Yeah, it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe.

Hatomi raced in first. She obviously didn't care about how much she bounced in the spandex but she suffered a reduction of speed because running without a bra hurt, especially being as big as Hatomi was. The wardrobe issue helped Tenten and she flung out senbon at her daughter. Hatomi aborted the attack and spun into Revolving Heaven.

Tenten smirked.

Neji knew the limits of his Revolving Heaven, mainly the one about it being difficult, if not _impossible_ to be able to perform the move while atop a constantly shifting foundation. The user had to have perfect balance and as of yet, Neji had done the Revolving Heaven _once_ while standing on water.

Hatomi's spin lasted all of a second before it dissolved and she fell through the surface of the water because of the whirlpool she had accidently made under her feet. The look on her daughter's face was priceless and Tenten couldn't help but giggle.

Hizashi used the distraction to come in with his Bo but Tenten easily summoned her Bo and smacked his aside with enough force he slide backwards along the water, lost his precious balance and fell through. Metal treaded water ten yards away and Hatomi popped out of the water a few yards to Metal's right. Hizashi stayed where he had landed, five yards to Tenten's left and fifteen yards from his teammates.

Hatomi and Hizashi got back onto the water's surface, dripping wet, and it didn't help Hatomi's situation at all. Now Tenten could see her daughter's nipples, her bellybutton and every curve of her daughter's body. Tenten shook her head with a sigh as Hatomi's cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

Two seconds later, both attacked her. Tenten noticed Hizashi _didn't_ have his Bo. Weird. Why the Hell had he...uh-oh.

Hizashi had taken up the Hyuuga stance while _Hatomi_ took up Tenten's taijustu stance. A moment before they came within her range, Hizashi flicked up his fingers and his Bo burst out of the water beside Hatomi who caught it in one hand. Well this was interesting.

Tenten blocked Hatomi's Bo strike considering how weak it was compared to Hizashi's and flicked the other end of her Bo up to stop Hizashi's palm strikes. Hizashi smirked and instead of simply pushing the Bo aside like Neji or Hatomi would do, he took it in both hands. Well crap. Time to get a bit more serious.

Tenten stomped a foot on the water's surface and the explosive tags under them went off, sending geysers through their tight circle. Water blinded Tenten but she back flipped out of it, taking her Bo with her and clearing the explosion radius. The water rained back into the main body and Tenten blinked. All three had disappeared.

She would've heard an alarm go off it the door had been opened and the water level would've sunk considerably before they could all make it through. The water was at the same level and there had been no alarm. It meant the three _had to be_ under the water.

Tenten yelped.

The water had become a whirlpool under her which meant Hatomi was using her Revolving Heaven under the water since hey; there was still a flat surface under there and all. Tenten looked down in time to see she was headed right for the blue dome of chakra. This wouldn't be pretty.

Tenten hit the chakra and felt the burning sensation along her entire spine and butt. She was flung upwards into the air and prepared to catch her body on the ceiling. Movement out of the corner of her eye and Tenten spotted Metal coming at her with a kick. She blocked him with her Bo and felt two bursts of chakra explode along her back.

One made her legs turn to jelly and the other made her lose the grip on her Bo as both arms became unresponsive. Tenten had enough power to turn and see _Hatomi_ had hit her. Hizashi had been the one to do the Revolving Heaven. Damn.

She smacked her back against the ceiling and began falling again. She saw Hizashi jump out of his spin and she laughed when he caught her and almost fell into the water. He got soaked to his knees but he had kept her upright. Hatomi landed graceful as ever beside them and Metal did a cannonball.

"Nice work," Tenten said.

"Thanks," Hizashi beamed.

"Thank you,"

"YOSH!"

Tenten rolled her eyes at Metal who had leaped out of the water to fist pump then promptly fell back into it. Hatomi smiled and Tenten grunted when Hatomi hit the two tenketsu so Tenten could use her chakra again. Tenten absorbed her ocean back into her scroll and regarded her sopping wet son, daughter, and god-son.

All three looked exhausted: sagging shoulders, slightly panting breaths, loose hands, and drenched hair. Tenten pulled open a scroll in her pouch and offered Hatomi a huge white towel which she took gratefully, rubbing it through the length of her hair before wrapping it around her body to save a bit of modesty.

She handed towels to Hizashi and Metal who thanked her as well then walked the trio over to the door leading into the room with Iruka-sensei in it.

"You'll be happy to know all you have to do is give Iruka-sama the scrolls and he'll give you directions on where you can get a hot meal, a bath, and a room to sleep in until the exam continues on the third day," Tenten said.

"Oh thank Kami," Hizashi said.

"There are laundry facilities?" Hatomi questioned.

"A med-nin and a seamstress are available and yes, somewhere to wash your clothes. What happened anyway?"

"Giant centipede," Hizashi said.

"Hn," Hatomi muttered.

Obviously Hizashi had tested his bombs and Hatomi had been in the splatter zone. Tenten hugged Hizashi and Hatomi close then gave in and hugged Metal. He hugged like his dad and Tenten laughed.

"All right you three, go hand in your scrolls and rest up. You're gonna need it,"

Hatomi raised an eyebrow at her, unimpressed. Metal shouted his excitement while Hizashi rolled his eyes and snorted, almost _exactly_ what Neji, Lee, and she had done when they had been given the same instruction after getting to Suna. Tenten watched her kids and god-son walk through the door with a smile on her face.

Team Guy would live on.

* * *

Mother had been right. Iruka-sama had accepted their scrolls, told them to go up a flight of stairs and turn left to get to food, right for a laundry room beside a large bathroom, and straight to get to a big enough room complete with three single beds. The stairs did continue up but all these led to were more floors like theirs. The stairs also continued down but the door at the bottom was locked.

Hatomi had found no cuts in her clothes so set them to wash along with Metal's spare suit, Metal's actual clothes, and Hizashi's clothes. They all kept bathrobes on as their clothes washed and dried but Hatomi took over the shower while the clothes were being cleaned. Metal beat Hizashi in an arm wrestling match so he went second, while their clothes dried then Hizashi who came out in time to tug on nice warm clothes.

Hatomi now sat in a chair in front of a table big enough to seat four while brushing out her hair with a brush Hizashi had given her from one of his scrolls while her teammates gathered food for all of them. Hatomi would never admit out loud how convenient her brother's jutsu could be. She would have to plan with him about using it better for away missions.

Her brother came back balancing a plate of fried rice, another of maki rolls, one of steamed vegetables, and one of cooked chicken. Metal, not to be outdone, carried a plate of cooked beef, one of shrimp, one of scallops, and balanced three plates, three sets of chopsticks, three saucers, and three tea cups on his head. Both made it to the table without spilling anything and Hatomi took the plates off of Metal's head first before helping Hizashi get the plates off his arms. Soon they were eating a nice, warm, cooked meal and Hatomi couldn't be happier.

"Tea," Hizashi said.

Metal beat him to get the pot and Hatomi giggled as Hizashi rolled his eyes before sitting. Metal poured her a cup first then Hizashi and his last. Hizashi thanked him with a friendly pat on the shoulder but Hatomi smiled which almost made Metal drop his tea.

"So we get two more days of this," Hizashi said.

"Hn, and if the other teams do not back it by noon on the third day from when this all started, they will fail," Hatomi said.

Hizashi raised his eyebrows at this.

"Noon, huh? So we had slightly less than three days since the gates didn't open until three,"

Hatomi shrugged.

"We made it well before time: fifty-five hours and ten minutes are left to wait according to the clock,"

Metal and Hizashi looked to the clock she shifted her head to. They grinned and she smiled. Their shower time had taken an hour and a bit. They had made it into the tower when there were fifty-seven hours still left in the exam, twelve hours after it had started. It did not feel like five in the morning.

"So, what the heck do we do for fifty-five hours?" Hizashi asked.

"Sleep until noon today then train until dinner, sleep, have breakfast, train, lunch, train, and dinner, then sleep. By then the other examinees will have reached the tower for better or for worse and perhaps we will get to see what is behind the locked door downstairs," Hatomi answered.

Hizashi nodded and Metal grinned.

"What a youthful plan, blossom," Metal said.

He had been calling her this in their downtime for some time. Hatomi had no qualms about it. Hizashi snorted but the meal went on amicably. They set their dishes with the leftover food and as they left an average woman came to gather the soiled dishes and the rest of the food. They had not left much.

Hizashi insisted on taking the middle bed once they were upstairs and Metal adamantly proclaimed he would do nothing to dishonor his blossom. Hatomi smacked them both to shut them up but took the bed against a wall. Hizashi took the middle bed and Hatomi heard Metal get into the other bed. She did not think sleep would take her so quickly but when next she woke, she was hungry again and the clock beside her read 12:05PM.

Hizashi and Metal slept on, both flat on their backs, spread eagled, mouths wide-open and snoring openly. Hatomi snorted at the two before making her way to the bathroom to freshen up. She stopped between the doorway for the laundry room bathroom area and the doorway for the kitchen.

The door leading to the staircase either going up or down had been closed. Hatomi tried the knob and found it locked. The handle on her side was completely smooth so there would be no picking this lock. Hatomi activated Byakugan and spotted chakra wires from the wall into the doorway. She had a feeling they would detect if someone broke down the door by force. Now they had no way off their floor.

Hatomi frowned at the thought. All her life she had been able to come and go from home, the Academy, or training as she pleased so long as she was in accordance with certain rules. Now she was contained on a single floor for the next forty-odd hours.

There would be food, water, and she had all the amenities for comfort she needed but it still felt restricting. They had a single window in their room, locked, and two in the eating area which were not meant to open. There were no books and no television. They had a room with three beds and three empty night stands. There was another room with a single table, four chairs, and a longer table so food could be set out on it. A third room with a washer and dryer attached to a typical bathroom and this was it.

Hatomi had a feeling making it early then entailed a test of mental stability. At least they would not be doing it alone. Another team had made it through as evidence of the door which now blocked them from wandering the stairs. Hatomi saw Metal get out with an enourmous yawn and deactivated her Byakugan. She headed for the bathroom with a frown. This would be a tedious forty-odd hours.

* * *

Hizashi was about ready to turn Metal into a human pincushion. Normally Hizashi didn't mind his friend, cousin, teammate, maybe brother-in-law but after spending nearly two days locked on a single floor with the guy Hizashi was about ready to _kill_ something.

Their first night hadn't been bad since hey, the door to the stairs had been open and they could've wandered up to the next floor to get some space. But no, when he woke up because Metal jumped on him that afternoon, they had realized they were _trapped_ on this floor with no escape.

Hizashi hated the feeling. He wasn't claustrophobic but he loathed being stuck in one place for too long being able to do _nothing_. He needed a change of scenery, to smell the fresh summer air, to hear the birds, to taste the sweetness of summer on his tongue, and to feel the cool breeze. He couldn't damned well see color so he _liked_ experiencing all the other senses as much as he could. He couldn't stuck in this stupid series of rooms.

All he could smell was the food when it had been delivered to the tables, the generic soap smell from their bathroom, and the general smell of dead air. The only sounds available were the light thuds of the people on the floor above them (one liked pacing) and the sounds of his sister and of Metal's voices. All he could taste was staleness of a room closed for too long and the food he ate which made him miss dad and mom's cooking. All he could feel was the rough walls and his clothes against his back.

Hizashi was beginning to think they should've camped in the forest for a night. At least then he wouldn't feel like sticking Metal with every single weapon in his scrolls. Hell, even Hatomi seemed fazed by the constant, well, _nothingness_ of their surroundings. She had taken to walking up and down the hallway during the days or practicing the Gentle Fist in the food area.

Metal was _literally_ climbing the walls in boredom. The walls weren't high enough to provide any kind of challenge so Metal did handstand push-ups. Then he did lunges. Jumping jacks followed by crunches followed by high knees and mountain climbers. Then he stole their unused chair from the eating area and did step ups and triceps dip.

He had completed three hundred of each by dinner on their first day.

After dinner he did the same thing, counting _loudly_ , for each exercise. He had taken a shower and gone to bed but woke he and Hatomi up at five in the morning on their second day to get them to work out with him. Hizashi had agreed because really, what else could he do?

Now he was flinging senbon at a target he had drawn on a wall in soy sauce. The clock in the food area said there was an hour left. It had said an hour and a minute what felt like _days_ ago. He chucked more senbon at his target.

 _Thunk. Thunk. Thunk._

Hizashi gathered them all up again, went back to the opposite wall and let out a breath. Still an hour left.

Hatomi sat on the table, legs crossed in lotus position and meditating. Metal was doing handstand push-ups for the third time today. Hizashi threw his senbon.

 _Thunk. Thunk. Thunk_.

Maybe if he hit the target enough times he would wear a hole in the wall and be able to smell the outside world. Still an hour left. Time was standing still.

He retrieved his senbon and was happy to see the clock now read fifty-nine minutes. Then there would be freedom from this stupid room with the person pacing above like they had lost a flea and were trying to find it.

 _Thunk. Thunk. Thunk_.

"Wow,"

Hizashi stared at the new person, new _voice_ , standing in the doorway. This wasn't the doorway back to the hall where the other rooms were, no, this was the one the woman used to come to give them food. Inojin's mom, Ino-sama, stood there in a knee length skirt, a crop top with no sleeves, with fishnet over her legs, and her long hair tied in a high pony tail.

She had her hands in fists resting on her hips and a smile on her face. Hizashi wanted to hug her but refrained. She motioned for them to follow her and Hizashi almost left his senbon in the wall in his haste. He caught up quickly enough and they took a set of stairs down. A huge hallway with many doors was revealed and Hizashi wanted to go exploring. Ino-sama opened a door to reveal an immense room and all thoughts of exploration were gone.

All along the wall were balconies with steel railings except directly opposite of them. There was a single balcony where Naruto-sama sat with Gaara-sama and the other Kage. The walls were bare, the floor was bare, but the place was massive. In the middle stood other teams, lined up side by side but one teammate in front of the other. Hatomi took the lead and stood beside a man from Suna. Hizashi got in behind her and Metal behind him.

To the left of the group they stood beside were Inojin, Chocho, and Shikadai. A Mist team, a Wave team, Suna again, then Boruto, Mitsuki, and Sarada then Grass, Suna, Mist and Stone. Eleven teams had made it. Eleven out of forty which meant over half of the forty original teams had been eliminated by either not getting the scroll set or not being able to pass mom and Lee-sensei.

No wonder so many people who tried out failed the exams. Hizashi did notice Boruto, Mitsuki, and Sarada looked like they had _just_ come from the forest and since their clothes were damp, they had faced mom. The three Suna teams looked a little fresher, not right from forest but they must have shoveled food down their throats then come to the room.

The single stone team looked ready to collapse while the two Mist teams looked tired but decent. The Grass team and Wave team looked as fresh as he, Hatomi, and Metal which meant those two teams must have been playing the waiting game with them.

"Wow, big turnout," Naruto-sama said.

Hizashi didn't think so. He spotted other shinobi standing on the balconies and grinned. Mom was there with Lee-sensei, Konohamaru-sama, and Moegi-sama. Other jonin in charge for the other teams littered the balcony but Hizashi didn't see dad, obasan, Kiba-sama, or Shino-sama. There were probably other shinobi who failed left to collect. Hizashi tried not to feel so bad.

"All right, congratulations on getting through the Forest of Death," Naruto-sama said. "Before we get started on the third portion of the exam, I want anyone who thinks they cannot make it to raise their hand. Even though the next section is individual competition, if one team member raises a hand then you're all eliminated."

Hizashi kept his gasp back but mutters came from the group. As if on cue, one of the members from the Stone team collapsed. The other two raised their hands then began to help their teammate to the double doors Hizashi, Hatomi, and Metal had come out of.

"Anyone else?"

No one raised their hand. Naruto-sama smiled.

"All right, good. The third and final portion of the chunin exams is a one on one competition battle. There will be qualifying matches followed by competition matches in Konoha's Arena. The qualifying matches will begin as soon as we have two names on the boards."

Hizashi gaped at the digital boxes to either side of the balcony with the Kage. Hizashi had no regrets about being able to rest for two days now that he knew the qualifying matches for the final battles were beginning right this minute. He hoped he didn't have to fight right away because he did want dad to be here for it, as selfish as it sounded.

The boards stopped making random patterns and came up with a name, an image, and a Village association each: Tahara Hogai, a serious looking teen who came from Suna against Shiro Sozui, a happy looking guy who hailed from Grass. Hizashi followed everyone else to the stairs to the right and made his way up to stand with Lee-sensei and mom. He would have to pay attention to this.

Hizashi intended to make it past the qualifying matches which mean there would be a real possibility of him fighting one of these two if he fought second. Hizashi settled in for what he hoped would be a decent fight and grinned. At least he didn't have to wait anymore.

* * *

Yeah, yeah, I'm evil. Another cliff-hanger sort of thing. Don't worry, I took the end of this chapter to plan out all the matches so _yes_ I do know who wins this thing. *winks* Reviews welcome.


	31. Qualifying Matches

**Qualifying Matches**

 **Author's notes:** I'm going to throw a lot of random names out there during these matches but don't worry too much. I might just use "a shinobi from the mist" in a lot of places until we get to the matches we all care about. And yeah, the people we care about will take it most of the way through to the end.

And remember, Japanese names so surname first, name second.

 **WARNING:** A lot of mention of Hatomi's rather large breasts cuz she hates them. If that bugs you then turn back now.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

The first match between Tahara Hogai from Suna and Shiro Sozui from the Grass had made Sozui the winner. Next were Mist and Grass where Kawasaki Tomohiko from the Mist won. Hatomi stood straighter when Metal's information burst across one of the screens along with the information for a Wave shinobi by the name of Seo Yuifum.

Metal leaped over the rail of the balcony and landed in a Nice Guy pose. Seo Yuifum looked as fresh as her, Hizashi, and Metal which meant the Wave team had to have arrived on the first night like them or during the second day. Yuifum was not in his early teens like the shinobi from Konoha.

He had to be at least eighteen with thick, shaggy deep blue hair, piercing blue eyes, and a pale complexion. He wore blue pants, a white long sleeved shirt, and a golden sash around his waist. His hitai-ate proclaiming him to be Wave was tied around his right bicep. Hatomi decided against activating her Byakugan. She would need to conserve her chakra.

"I Metal Lee, Konoha's Gorgeous Green Fierce Beast, dedicate this match to the stunning, brilliant, mature blossom who goes by the name of Hyuuga Hatomi!"

He had not _had_ to point her out, had he? Of course Metal had to point her out. His family did everything enormously and fighting topped the list. Hatomi felt the heat rise to her cheeks as most of the combatants out right laughed. Mother groaned from beside her while Lee-sensei gave a Nice Guy Pose. Yuifum blinked.

"Doesn't look like she appreciates it," Yuifum said.

Hatomi did not mind, honestly, but in private not being shouted in front of the representatives from every village, her family, and all their friends.

"Yosh, that is because her father has not allowed me to properly court her yet," Metal returned.

Hatomi rubbed her forehead and willed her cheeks to stop being so warm. Yuifum deadpanned.

"I wonder why,"

"I often wonder upon that as well. I am a powerful shinobi and a Nice Guy—"

"I meant that, urg, can we fight now?"

Hatomi could not help but chuckle. Metal did not understand sarcasm well even with being Hizashi's friend. Genma, the match proctor shouted out a quick "begin" and Metal begun. Yuifum gaped as Metal seemed to disappear before re-appearing to Yuifum's right and kicking him in the side.

Yuifum went flying, landed hard but came up on his feet only to be kicked in the face by Metal. Hatomi watched with a smile as Metal kept delivering kick after kick on Yuifum who could hardly defend, never mind trying to counter.

"Come Yuifum! Fight with the Spirit of Youth!"

"What the? Shut up you noisy brat!"

"Ahaha! I am over here now!"

"Sonofabitch!"

Hatomi had always known Metal was quick but he went full out now. Metal literally ran circles around Yuifum, much to the amusement of anyone who was not a Wave shinobi. Yuifum's teammates, a short pretty girl and a tall broad male looked embarrassed. So did the Kage for the Wave Country.

Metal delivered a kick to Yuifum's temple which sent the man spinning in a spot a few times before collapsing to the ground in a sprawl. Metal took two steps back while Genma came to check on Yuifum.

"Winner: Metal Lee,"

"Yosh!"

Hatomi pursed her lips to keep from grinning too broadly as Metal ran up the wall then jumped to land on the rail of the balcony. While still standing on the balcony he gave the Kage a Nice Guy Pose before standing happily beside her and Lee-sensei.

They watched the boards and Hatomi did not have to hold back her smile when Boruto's name appeared on one board. On the other was Yamasaki Yuki from Grass. Yuki had no defining characteristics. He was average in height and build with brown hair, brown eyes, and wore a standard issue shinobi outfit. The man did look unusually morose which countered his teammate Sozui's happy personality.

"Uzumaki huh?" Yuki asked.

"Yeah, what of it?" Boruto returned.

"Your father's the Hokage and container for the Nine Tails?"

"Yeah,"

"I forfeit. That's way too much pressure,"

Hatomi saw Sozui smack his forehead and shake his head. Their teammate, another girl let out a groan and almost whacked her head off the railing from being so depressed at Yuki's forfeit. Yuki left the area, not even bothering to stay to watch his teammate participate.

"Wow," Hizashi said from beside her.

"Hn,"  
"He lacked youth,"

Hatomi smirked as father and son had said it in unison. Mother rubbed her temples and let out a breath.

The next match included the Wave's Onishi Runa who lost spectacularly to Tajima Maiya of Suna. Mist's Kano Yumiko defeated another Suna shinobi but Suna's Imamura Chikaze pulled a victory over a Mist shinobi in the next bout. Wave's Miyake Masuhiro, Yuifum and Runa's teammate, pulled a win over another Suna shinobi.

Hatomi blinked when her family name came across the board. It was not her turn and she looked to Hizashi who grinned. The smile was the indication of his willingness to fight and Hizashi promptly turned on his heel and headed for the stairs.

Hatomi caught movement out of the corner of her eye and spotted Shino-sama, Kiba-sama, Hinata-obasan and father step up to the railing.

"Right on time," mother said.

"Hn,"

Father's happy and relieved sound. Hatomi stood a bit closer to her father and noticed he had bags under his eyes. His normally perfect hair was tangled and he had lost his hair tie somewhere along the line. One shirt sleeve had been ripped off and he had dust on his knees. Kiba-sama, Shino-sama, and Hinata-obasan all looked worn out as well and Hatomi had a feeling the four did not get a day of rest.

"Did you see Akiyama Shinobu from the Mist?" mother asked father.

Father shook his head. Then all anyone knew was Shinobu's teammate Tomohiko had won while Togai had lost. He was from the Mist, average in height with long silver hair, stunning green eyes, and a pale complexion. Shinobu wore dark baggy pants, a dark vest undone to show a black mesh shirt, and black gloves that went to his elbows but did not have the fingers. His hitai-ate was tied around his neck, similar to how Hatomi wore hers. She did not want to risk checking his chakra levels. Hizashi would be fine.

* * *

Neji wanted to take a nap but he refused to miss seeing his son fight in the preliminary exams. Hopefully Hatomi's match would be soon so Neji could go nap without feeling horrible. He felt bad he had missed Metal's match. According to Lee's quick rundown in his loud voice, Metal had not even broken a sweat.

"Hyuuga, huh?" Shinobu asked.

"Yep. You gunna forfeit like that other guy when facing an old and well known family name?"

"Nope,"

"Good. I look forward to the challenge then,"

Neji kept his smile back at Hizashi's joyful tone. Shinobu grinned but not malevolently. Neji sensed no ill intent from the other teen and relaxed. He shifted to stand closer to Tenten when she wrapped an arm around his waist then returned the gesture. Hatomi moved to stand closer and Neji put a hand on her shoulder.

"Begin,"

A puff of smoke filtered around Shinobu's arm and a moment later he held a katana in his hands. The blade glowed silver under the lights while the hilt was the typical black and white pattern, both colors immaculate. The guard was golden, shimmering and beautiful under the glow above their heads. Neji did not know as much as Tenten or Hizashi about swords but he could tell this was a marvelous weapon.

"Oh wow! That's an awesome o katana! Made from tamahagane and using the folding method like it should be done! Shihozume assembly too! Oh wow, that's amazing!"

Neji let out a low groan at Hizashi's words. Shinobu raised his eyebrows and his lips curled into a broad smile.

"You're right. That Byakugan really is amazing but I thought Hyuuga didn't study weaponry?" Shinobu asked.

Neji kept his chuckle back as Hizashi beamed. Hizashi opened one of his scrolls and a katana appeared in his hands, much to Shinobu's surprise.

"You'll figure out I'm not a normal Hyuuga," Hizashi said.

Neji heard Tenten giggling beside him and kissed the top of her head as Hizashi ran in. Shinobu did not back down from the challenge and soon the two were clashing. The swords whistled through the air, meeting with a clang of metal and a spark each time. Over and over the two struck. Sometimes Shinobu would force back Hizashi and sometimes Hizashi would push Shinobu back. Neji could not help but be impressed and glanced down to see Tenten's eyes wide and her lips turned up into a smile.

Neji snickered inwardly. All he had to do to please Tenten was bring her to a swordfight. He had a feeling Tenten would not let him rest tonight but did not mind. He usually did not have to do much but behave in their scenes and he had no issues indulging her.

They duo collided for fifteen minutes before jumping apart. Shinobu panted lightly as did Hizashi and both had a pleased turn to their lips. Neji recognized the bliss on his son's face. Hizashi often held this look after sparring with his teammates, mother, or him.

"Man, why does the Mist Village have to be an ocean away? I'd love to fight you again," Hizashi said.

Shinobu chuckled.

"I was about to say the same about Konoha,"

Neji saw the Kage grinning. Shinobi from different villages rarely got along during the chunin exams. Of course Hizashi would do something completely unexpected.

"You know, I could see us fighting for a few hours yet," Shinobu said.

"Yeah, if I just stuck to my katana," Hizashi said.

Shinobu's smile faltered. Hizashi sighed and shifted his stance. He kept his sword in hand but he had changed to the Gentle Fist style. Shinobu frowned but nodded. Hizashi attacked. The katana acted as an extension of Hizashi's arm and Shinobu became hard pressed to dodge. Chakra flared along the blade of Hizashi's katana and Shinobu's eyes widened.

Hizashi hit a tenketsu in Shinobu's chest, one right above the left lung which caused Shinobu to gasp and take three hurried steps back. Hizashi kept moving forward though and hit two more tenketsu in the lungs in quick succession while his sword blocked Shinobu's downward strike with efficiency.

Neji had _never_ seen such a perfect combination of Hyuuga technique and weapon's mastery. He let the swell of pride sweep through him since Hizashi was the _single_ Hyuuga who bothered with actual weapons and Kami did Hizashi make it look deadly beautiful.

Hyuuga techniques were a kind of dance full of quick footwork, precise but elegant movements, and speedy jabs. Tenten's taijustu relied on flexibility, speed, and grace. Combined, Hizashi moved in a way no other shinobi could match. Impressive would never be a strong enough word and Hizashi had not even bothered to unleash his distance attacks.

Shinobu had to use both hands on his weapon now in order to properly block Hizashi's chakra laden katana. Chakra jumped along Shinobu's weapon, getting closer and closer to his hands with every strike and Neji could see Shinobu knew what Hizashi planned.

"Mud Ball,"

Neji stiffened as Shinobu spat out a ball of mud that slammed into Hizashi's left arm, the forearm luckily. Hizashi had enough time to spot the mud and move his arm out of the way enough so the mud did not lock his arm in an extended position. Even so, Hizashi's strikes from his left hand would be a bit slower now.

"Nice," Hizashi said.

"Thanks. Water Cannon,"

Hizashi _barely_ dodged the stream of boiling water which would likely be hot enough to give him second degree burns. Hizashi went in for a strike with his left arm but Shinobu was able to move out of the way since Hizashi's arm was now weighed down.

"Vacuum Palm,"

Shinobu winced when the blast of chakra from Hizashi's left hand slammed into Shinobu's waist. It sent the Mist shinobi flying back a few yards but Shinobu grinned.

"Water Pellet,"

 _Dozens_ of coin sized water balls raced towards Hizashi at different heights. He could not block or dodge them all by standing still, not with his left arm weighed down. Hizashi grinned.

"Revolving Heaven,"

Hizashi spun. The water pellets slammed off the Hyuuga Ultimate Defense and Neji wondered if Hizashi would, yes, he was. Senbon flew out of the chakra dome and Shinobu was hard pressed to dodge them. After a moment the Mist shinobi created a water shield but Hizashi was not stupid. Neji caught the specific senbon before anyone else because he was looking for it. When this senbon hit Shinobu's shield, it exploded.

Shinobu yelped and hit the ground rolling. Hizashi leaped out of his chakra dome and Neji saw Hizashi had left his katana behind. Instead a kunai rain started which pinned Shinobu to the ground by his clothes. Shinobu gaped in wonder as Hizashi landed and winked.

"Normally I'd skewer you but this is just a friendly match after all," Hizashi said.

Silence for a brief moment. Then Genma snorted.

"Winner: Hyuuga Hizashi,"

Hizashi kindly removed the kunai from Shinobu and offered him a hand up. Shinobu took it with a smile and they shook which made the Kage clap happily. Shinobu helped Hizashi gather the other weapons and they joyfully discussed techniques before exchanging numbers. Hizashi came back towards the family with a grin while Shinobu headed towards his amused looking team.

"Only you could make a friend during a fight," Tenten said.

"Hey, did you see his o katana? Maybe he'll let me look at it up close," Hizashi said.

Neji snorted at his son and Hizashi realized he was there. Hizashi grinned before wrapping an arm around Neji's shoulders and giving him a half-hug.

"Hey dad," Hizashi said.

"Hello son. I am proud of you," Neji told him.

Hizashi gaped. His smile could have rivaled the sun and Neji ruffled Hizashi's long hair. A nap could wait. He needed to see Hatomi's battle and tell her the same.

* * *

Hizashi felt like he walked on the freaking clouds. Not only had he gotten a great match against a fellow weapon's master, made a new friend, and qualified, dad had said point blank, he was proud of Hizashi. _Proud._ Dad was proud of him!

Dad wasn't the type of shinobi to go around talking about his feelings like Lee-sensei did. Dad didn't do the manly hugging and barely joked or smiled broadly. The old Hyuuga decorum would never leave dad's personality and Hizashi had accepted the fact.

And sure, Hizashi had seen a bit of pride and happiness in dad's white eyes when they had sparred this month but to hear dad _say it_ was an entirely different thing. Hizashi would blame he joyful feelings on completely missing the match between Mitsuki and some sand shinobi.

"Winner: Mitsuki,"

"Huh?" Hizashi questioned.

"Way to pay attention. You know, with the layout of the matches so far, you're going to be fighting Mitsuki," mom said.

"Oh, well I all ready kicked his butt in the Forest of Death," Hizashi said.

Mom gaped then started laughing. Dad smirked and nodded. Hizashi looked up at his dad who gave him a knowing wink. Hizashi started snickering. Apparently dad had seen the battle Hizashi talked about. Awesome. Hizashi's day couldn't get any better.

He got to leave the stupid room, got to see Metal kick butt, made a friend while kicking butt, and dad said he was proud of him. Too bad Mitsuki hadn't lost his match but Hell, Hizashi would be glad to fight the snake bastard in front of a live audience of more than just jonin instructors. Yeah, his day was going great.

Suna fought Suna and Miyake Ringo won with a well timed Slashing Wind Technique with the medium sized fan he carried. Hizashi wondered if Ringo would let him study the fan later because having the ability to fling around wind sounded really cool.

Hizashi's smile finally died when he saw the next match: Yamanaka Inojin again Hamada Shiki from the Sand. Inojin did not look fazed and won within five minutes, not even bothering to use his Yamanaka techniques. Sarada won her match against a Mist shinobi with a fist that made a crater erupt in the middle of the field.

A Konoha shinobi used an earth jutsu to fill up the hole and Chocho beat her Mist opponent using the Akimichi expansion jutsu really well. Hizashi realized something of vital importance. There were two participants left and both were from Konoha. The names on the boards solidified it and Hizashi suddenly didn't know who to cheer for: his twin sister or Nara Shikadai, his best friend.

Hizashi frowned as Hatomi strode away from him in her regal way and began heading down the stairs. Shikadai gave a huge sigh and began following. Mutters came up from around the balcony as people realized a Village would be fighting itself for the final match. Worse yet, the other Villages likely knew the jutsu Nara represented.

Hatomi stood in the middle of the arena now and Shikadai took up a position across from her, shoulders slouched, hands in his pockets, and a frown on his face. His eyes, light colored, narrowed slightly and he looked more bored then worried.

"What a drag," Shikadai said.

"Hn," Hatomi muttered, unimpressed.

Hizashi knew how his sister fought: elegantly, gracefully, quickly, and with the kind of power that came from being determined to win. Hatomi could make the Gentle Fist look like child's play and her Lion Heads hurt to get hit by. Never mind the fact she could see further than him and in greater detail in some cases.

He didn't know how Shikadai fought. Sparring never came up when Hizashi had hung out with his friends even when Boruto had been around. Sure they had wrestled a bit or pushed each other around but jutsu had never been involved. Shikadai had also made it a point not to join in on anything physical.

All Hizashi had to go on was what he had read in books about the Nara clan. Shadow Manipulation was their clan secret which was meant really for stealth attacks not front on confrontation. Nara's always restrained people through shadows while Akimichi lent a hand and Yamanaka rummaged through a person's mind.

But, Shikadai was the son of Shikamaru, the Hokage's right hand man and top strategist. Shikamaru had made chunin at twelve, figured out how to defeat an immortal Akatsuki member, and was part of the main strategy team in the Fourth Shinobi War. Hizashi had no idea how this would play out.

"Begin,"

Hatomi moved first which Hizashi expected. She led with chakra laced hands, Byakugan active, and in perfect form, heading straight to Shikadai who _yawned._ Hatomi didn't let the yawn throw her off and lashed out. Shikadai dodged.

Then he dodged again. And again. _And again._

Hizashi gaped and saw dad's eyebrows raise and his lips part slightly in awe. Hell, even mom was stunned. The few people able to dodge a Hyuuga Gentle Fist attack were other Hyuuga or people like Metal or Lee-sensei who were too damned quick. Mom dodged because she had been training with dad for years. No one else could dodge Hyuuga strikes.

"I figured I'd have to face either you or Hizashi at some point," Shikadai said as he kept moving.

"Oh?" Hatomi questioned.

"Yep. Out of everyone in the exams your team was the best qualified to make it this far. I mean: two Byakugan users and a powerhouse? Please. Anyone would've been stupid to challenge you guys after Metal announced what scroll you had,"

Hatomi raised an eyebrow and Hizashi couldn't help but laugh at dad who glared at Metal. Lee-sensei grabbed his now pale son by the scruff of the scarf and hid him away from dad. Mom groaned and shook her head.

"Hn," Hatomi said, impressed.

Shikadai sighed and kept moving out of Hatomi's strikes by mere centimeters. It was kind of fun to watch.

"When I saw how many people were left, I kind of hoped I'd be wrong. But when Hizashi fought that Mist shinobi I had a pretty good idea I'd be fighting you,"

"It does not explain how you are able to dodge me," Hatomi said.

Shikadai shrugged.

"See, when I found out you guys were entering I figured the best way to fight a Hyuuga was to study their style. Everyone's all happy to say you fight like your dad and there are a lot of events that were recorded of your dad either demonstrating the Hyuuga Gentle Fist style or outright fighting, like the second chunin exams for example,"

Hizashi stared at his friend. He saw dad openly gape. Hatomi raised her eyebrow a bit higher.

"So I watched the tapes over and over until I came up with the pattern to the Hyuuga Gentle Fist. It's simple really, when you know what it is. See, you're going to go for my shoulder,"

Hatomi stopped her shoulder strike as Shikadai said the word "shoulder." She froze in the middle of her motion and Shikadai yawned at her again.

"Then you would've gone for my chest, other shoulder, chest again, forearm, navel, elbow, collar bone, chest, you get the picture. Don't worry because it wasn't just you I studied. I did the same with everyone in Konoha on the off chance I'd have to fight a friend," Shikadai said.

Hatomi took two big steps back and stared. Hizashi didn't know what she could do now. All Hatomi knew was Hyuuga techniques and apparently Shikadai had taught himself how to see through them. Shikadai pulled his hands out of his pockets then stretched his arms above his head. His hands went back in his pockets.

"I'm really glad I'm fighting you though and not Hizashi cuz Hizashi combines Hyuuga techniques with Tenten's fighting style so he's completely unpredictable. You though, well, it's easy,"

Hizashi did know one important fact about his sister. Never, ever, imply what she did was easy. As expected, Hatomi scowled. Lion Head's formed around her hands and Hizashi saw Shikadai perk up and gulp.

"There are a few Hyuuga techniques my father never learned. Too bad, hn?"

Hatomi attacked. Shikadai couldn't shift out of the way now, oh no, he had to jump back or risk being hit by one of the Lion Heads around Hatomi's hands. Hatomi got a good hit in but that was as far as she got. Shikadai smiled.

"Hate to say this but your boobs give away your next move with those Lion Heads,"

Hatomi stopped moving again and her lips parted as her eyes went wide in shock. Another fact Shikadai should've known about Hatomi: don't mention her boobs and their over-big size. She hated them.

The chakra went out over Hatomi's hands and Shikadai blinked. Hatomi took a deep breath then shook her head. She glared at Shikadai who took a step back. Wise move.

"You want to stare at my chest, hn?"

Oh this wasn't going to be good.

Hizashi groaned as Hatomi undid her obi and tossed it to a side. Shikadai's jaw dropped as Hatomi undid the buttons on her neck high shirt and pulled the whole garment over her head before letting it drop. Hatomi's bra was white, lacy, and sure it covered her nipples but there was _a lot_ of skin showing now. One wrong move and Hatomi might pop out of her bra. At least the Hyuuga techniques required a straight spine.

Hizashi was pretty sure there was going to be a low blood supply in any male (except dad who covered his eyes and sagged) in the area. Hell, Shikadai had blood dribbling out of his nose and onto his lips.

"Well go ahead and stare. Let us see how well you can predict my moves,"

Hatomi launched forward again but Shikadai didn't move. Hizashi watched in wonder as Hatomi easily sunk into Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms and began shutting off Shikadai's tenketsu while Shikadai stared at Hatomi's bouncing chest. Apparently even a genius like Shikadai could be distracted by a bit of skin.

Hatomi finished her combo and Shikadai flew through the air for a few yards before hitting the ground, rolling, and coming to a stop seven yards from Hatomi. Shikadai had landed on his back at least and had the biggest grin on his face as blood leaked out of his nose and down the sides of his face. Everyone could see the "kunai" in Shikadai's shorts. He wasn't going to be standing any time soon.

"Er, winner: Hyuuga Hatomi," Genma said.

Even he swiped a hand under his nose to get rid of the blood from seeing Hatomi in a lacy white bra. Hatomi fell out of her stance, put on her shirt, did up the buttons to the collar, wrapped her obi around her waist then headed towards the stairs all in complete silence as no one could manage to speak.

"Uh, well, at least no one was maimed," Naruto-sama said.

Hizashi laughed as Naruto-sama scratched the back of his head. Hizashi risked a glance at dad who still had his eyes covered with one hand while the other arm supported the elbow of the upraised hand. He sagged forward: lips set in a frown, but mom, mom had to hold onto dad so she didn't fall over from laughing so hard.

Metal had fallen over but he was sporting a hidden weapon, red face, and a massive grin. Lee-sensei had gone to his knees, holding the top of the railing and was sobbing about something or other. Hizashi stared at his sister as she joined them, totally not caring about the stir she had caused.

"Hatomi," dad said.

"Yes father?"

Hizashi waited. This might be good.

"I am proud of you for how far you have come and how well you have mastered the Hyuuga techniques,"

"Thank you father,"

"But do me a favor,"

"Yes?"

"Keep your damned shirt on,"

"Hn,"

Hizashi burst out laughing when dad glared at Hatomi. She nodded and dad withered while letting out a huge sigh. Hizashi had to cover his mouth to stop from sounding like a donkey as dad shook his head and Naruto-sama got to his feet.

"Okay, the second round matches will be as follows: Shiro Sozui of the Grass against Kawasaki Tomohiko of the Mist, Metal Lee of Konoha against Uzumaki Boruto of Konoha, Tajima Maiya of Suna against Kano Yumiko of the Mist, Imamura Chikaze of Suna against Miyake Masuhiro of the Wave, Hyuuga Hizashi of Konoha against Mitsuki of Konoha, Miyake Ringo of Suna against Yamanaka Inojin of Konoha, Uchiha Sarada of Konoha against Akimichi Chocho of Konoha, and Hyuuga Hatomi gets a bye since we've got an odd number,"

Hizashi stared. All of the Konoha shinobi were fighting against each other. Talk about weeding out a Village. The words fully digested and Hizashi grinned. He would for sure be fighting Mitsuki now, no question and Metal would be fighting against Boruto. Sure, Hatomi didn't look happy she would get a bye and it would suck for Sarada and Chocho to fight against each other but Hizashi didn't mind the layout.

"The matches will take place in Konoha's main arena in a month. So far you've learned how to communicate silently with your teammates, you figured out to never leave a man behind, you defeated a team you didn't know to obtain information you didn't look at and got past a high level enemy to deliver the information. You've fought against an unknown opponent and now you're going to figure out how to fight against someone you know so your strategy skills will be tested.

"Once the First Round is over, the second round will start right after with eight opponents. Those eight will be taken down to four and you'll have a week to recover until the semi-finals. Another week then the finals. If you do win it doesn't mean you become a chunin. There have been plenty of chunin made from people who didn't even make it to round two.

"But for now: train for your opponent. We'll see you all in a month,"

Hizashi followed his family and Metal out of the building with the other Konoha shinobi. The shinobi from other Villages began to head to the hotel district but Hizashi saw Shinobu raised a hand. Hizashi waved back at his new friend and was glad one of Shinobu's teammates had won. It meant the group would be staying in Konoha for at least a month.

"Yosh! Father, I must begin training right away to defeat Boruto!"

"Yes! Let us go!"

"Father!"

"Metal!"

"Father!"

Hizashi watched the two Green Beasts hug it out complete with water-fall tears and a mirage of a sunset behind them even though it was afternoon. The two took off running after a moment and Hizashi snorted. He yelped when Hatomi hit him. She grinned.

Hizashi had a feeling he wasn't going to like this.

"Since I do not know who I am fighting between Sarada and Chocho and I will be fighting either one of them when they are all ready weakened, I will help you train," Hatomi said.

"Hn, good idea, Hatomi. Hizashi, I will help you train as well," dad said.

"Yeah, me too. You're going to kick Mitsuki's butt," mom added.

Hizashi stared at Hatomi and dad's little smiles and mom's beaming grin. If last month was a _taste_ of training then this month would be Hell. His day wasn't going so great after all.

* * *

Hatomi heard a knock at the door and hummed. Mother was busy sparring with Hizashi, Bo to Bo while father slipped in ever few hits to get Hizashi to defend against two opponents at once. Father also shifted to spar with Shi who happily helped in fighting against Hizashi. Shun did a puzzle on the porch, his bandana slightly skewed as he lay on his stomach, legs bent at the knees so he could kick his feet in the air. Miruku hung over his head.

Hatomi walked through the open patio doors and wondered why the person did not walk around the house to where the sounds were coming from. Perhaps the person was not one of their many friends but a neighbour complaining about the noise level again. Mom tended to shout her commands to Hizashi when she sparred with him. The random projectile would often fly over the cement fence which normally scared their civilian neighbours but this had not happened today.

Hatomi opened the door to see Akiyama Shinobu standing on the front steps. He wore the same attire he had during the exam: baggy black pants, an open black vest to reveal a black mesh shirt, elbow length black gloves with no fingers, and his hitai-ate around his neck. His silver hair, middle back length, was loose though but his green eyes were no less stunning. Up close, she would consider Shinobu attractive.

"Hello," Hatomi said.

"Oh good, I found the right house. Hizashi gave a vague description with the address and didn't give any landmarks, um; he's training, isn't he?" Shinobu asked.

Hatomi nodded and noticed Shinobu tried exceptionally hard not to stare at her chest. She appreciated his thought. She had been a bit bold during the chunin exams but she had won her fight. Besides, shinobi were told to use every asset to their advantage. Hers happened to fit in double d cups.

"He is training but you may come in," Hatomi said.

Shinobu rubbed the back of his head and began blushing. Hatomi raised an eyebrow and quickly glanced down at her attire. Ah. She wore rather short black shorts which were tight and a red tube top which left an inch of skin exposed at her navel but had no sleeves. She could not help the heat from both the weather and training.

It likely did not help matters Shinobu stood taller than her by at least eight inches. He was a teenager, likely sixteen or so and she did wear a rather scooped shirt he could look right down. Hatomi stepped aside and Shinobu cleared his throat before walking in. He took off his shoes as Hatomi shut the door.

"This way," Hatomi said once he stood.

Shinobu followed her through the living room and onto the patio where the poor Mist shinobi was pegged with three sets of Byakugan white eyes set in suspicion, mother's hazel eyes set in curious wonder, and one pair of Byakugan gold eyes brightening in happiness.

"Hey Shinobu," Hizashi said.

Father relaxed and Shi shrugged off the intruder. Shun went back to his puzzle with no further comment and mother smiled. Shinobu let out a breath and put a smile on his face.

"Hi, um, I hope I'm not interrupting," Shinobu said.

"Nah, this works perfectly," mother said. "Now you and I can fight with Hizashi while Neji trains with Shi and Hatomi for a bit."

Hizashi groaned but Hatomi smiled. She might not know who she would fight between her friends but she wanted to be prepared.

"Oh, by the way, this is my husband, Hyuuga Neji, I'm Tenten, that's Shi, Shun's on the porch with the puzzle and that's Miruku on his head. And you know Hizashi and Hatomi. Shi, Shun, Miruku, this is Aki, er, Akiyama Shinobu, a shinobi from the Mist," mother said.

"Hi," Shinobu said.

"Oh, you're the one Hizashi beat in the preliminary matches," Shun said.

Shinobu rubbed the back of his neck. Hizashi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose while father smirked and mom snickered.

"Yeah, that's me. Your big brother's really um, unpredictable," Shinobu said.

Shun nodded sagely and met Shinobu's eyes again. Shinobu's eyes stayed on Shun's which was impressive considering most people looked at Shun's bandana after meeting Shun's obvious Hyuuga gaze.

"Hizashi's always been impulsive like that, I mean except when he and Hatomi have to cook cuz mom and dad are on a mission or something. Then it's always fried egg, white rice, grilled fish, and steamed vegetables. Hizashi burns things," Shun said.

Hatomi sighed at her younger brother while Hizashi flushed. Shinobu laughed. Mom was giggling and dad had a small grin on his face.

"I burn things too. It's a good thing I have water nature release or I'd have burned my house down a long time ago," Shinobu said.

Shun shrugged.

"Must be a shinobi thing," Shun said.

Shinobu wisely did not ask what Shun meant. Shun went back to his puzzle while Shinobu and Hatomi stepped off the porch. Hatomi easily fell into training with Shi and father while Hizashi sparred with Shinobu and mother. Hatomi had to admit, Shinobu had a good technique going. Nowhere near as powerful as Hizashi or perhaps Metal but strong nonetheless.

He was attractive too, but in a way Hatomi could appreciate without going crazy over. Frankly she enjoyed the fact Metal was not considered traditionally attractive. She happened to like his dark hair, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. Hatomi decided it best to stop thinking about Metal when Shi almost got a hit on her and father raised his eyebrow at the sight.

She fell into a proper training regime until Hizashi gave out a mighty groan and fell onto his back in the grass. It prompted her, Shi, and father to glance over at a laughing mom and a grinning Shinobu. Shun looked up from playing with Miruku and blinked.

"I'm done for today, seriously," Hizashi said.

"Hn, after dinner you and I will spar solo with only Gentle Fist," father said.

Hatomi kept her laugh back when Hizashi stared at father.

"I did say that out loud, right?" Hizashi asked.

Father chuckled and Hatomi watched as father walked over to Hizashi and tugged him to his feet. Hizashi swayed for a moment but got his center of balance back.

"I will not have you losing to Mitsuki," father said.

"Dad, you saw me kick his ass in the Forest of Death," Hizashi said.

"Hn and he will be expecting the same moves. I also saw how easily he angered you when he began making fun of Hatomi,"

"Oh. Fine, fine, Gentle Fist training after dinner. Does that mean we're going to be eating now?"

"Hn,"

Shun followed mother and father into the house to help with dinner. Shi stretched then wandered off to one of the training dummies to keep going with Gentle Fist. Hatomi was slightly perturbed Shi had not asked her to continue but did not mention it.

"So, can I ask you guys a potentially offensive question?" Shinobu asked.

Hatomi raised her eyebrow at him and he flushed, rubbing the back of his head again. Hizashi blinked at Shinobu then grinned.

"Maybe. Hatomi may or may not Vacuum Palm you through a wall and I may or may not follow up with a kunai rain,"

Shinobu noticed Hizashi grinning then chuckled. Hatomi shifted so she stood closer to the two and Shinobu glanced towards the house then to Shi. He lowered his voice when he spoke:

"So, er, Shun isn't a shinobi, right?"

Hatomi rolled her eyes. She had thought it would have been much worse.

"Right," Hizashi said with a smirk.

Shinobu let out another breath.

"Is that why he has the seal?"

There was the potential offense. Hatomi saw Hizashi frown and kept her glare to a minimum. They nodded in unison which tended to make people shudder or balk. Shinobu did a bit of both.

"It's just; we'd heard it'd been outlawed—"

"It was," Hizashi broke in. "Just some of the former Main House are still jackasses and did it without asking anyone. They were dealt with though and the former Main House folks have been a lot less uppity."

Hizashi's last sentence was untrue but Shinobu did not need to know this, not as a shinobi from the Mist even if he was becoming Hizashi's friend. Shinobu let out a breath and apologized. Hizashi began smiling again and Hatomi took her glare right off her face.

"Okay, sorry, it's, I'm not trying to like get Intel or anything, I was honestly just curious and figured the best way was to ask you guys directly," Shinobu said.

"Thank you for the sentiment," Hatomi said.

"No problem," Shinobu said.

His smile was genuine and cute. Hatomi caught her groan before it could be completely voiced. Anyone would think Shinobu was cute when he smiled. The dimple in his left cheek helped.

"Anyway, any other awkward questions before we have to go inside?" Hizashi asked.

"Um, why isn't Shun a shinobi?" Shinobu questioned.

Hatomi rolled her eyes when Hizashi smiled.

"Good one. He's got visual perception issues so things like recognizing objects or faces don't work with him. Reading and writing come hard too. And so you know cuz you might hear it: I'm colorblind as in I don't see color at all. My eyes are the opposite of Hatomi's: seeing no color without Byakugan active and seeing color with it on. Anything else?"

Shinobu gaped and Hatomi chuckled at him. Hizashi normally would not offer up this information but eventually Shinobu might hear it from someone even if by accident. Hizashi's secret of sorts had been exposed for a while now.

"Er, no but wow. I'm red-green color blind so I can't see anything red or green. It's all kind of like this hazy yellow color and sometimes blue washes out. So, like, right now the grass is grayish yellow and your sister's shirt looks yellow. Oh and you guys both have like pure white skin," Shinobu said.

Hatomi did not know what to say and by Hizashi's dropped jaw, neither did he. Hizashi started laughing a moment later then hugged Shinobu who grinned and hugged right back. Hatomi could not help but smile.

"Ah, that's, I'm so glad I'm not alone in the whole no color thing. Wow," Hizashi said.

"Ha, me too. Ah man, you totally know how hard it is to find a matching outfit for the day,"

"Yes! It's why my mom and dad labelled all my dresser drawers according to color,"

"I never thought of that! My parents had me get tested when I kept getting down the wrong bowls or something,"

"Yeah, mine when I couldn't name colors unless they were labelled,"

"Ah man, that sucked! The other kids made fun of me and I almost couldn't be a shinobi because hey, green and red flares,"

"Yeah! Same here! I actually had to be retested cuz we hid it pretty well until my, er, former friend found out and, it's complicated,"

Hatomi frowned when Hizashi remembered the day. Shinobu blinked then shook his head.

"You're lucky no one knew about it until you were older. The kids didn't want to play with me because they thought they'd catch it or something,"

Hatomi chuckled along with Hizashi but had a feeling she was being ignored. For once, she had no qualms. It was nice to see Hizashi being able to bond with someone over a common problem.

"That's so stupid,"

"We're all stupid at that age,"

"Yeah, tell me about it,"

Hatomi left the two to bond over their private world. She walked over to Shi who had stopped hitting the training dummy and now simply stared at it. Hatomi saw Shi had a little smile on his face and his Byakugan activated.

"He will not feel so alone in it anymore," Shi said.

Hatomi chuckled and patted her younger brother's shoulder, ignoring the fact he was now the same height as her.

"No, he will not. Spar?"

"Hn,"

Shi smiled at her as she got into position. They began. Hatomi hoped days like today never ended.

* * *

I realized while writing Hizashi's battle this is really kind of heart-wrenching considering how the war ends in the series. You know what? I'm going to pretend _it_ never happened. Yep. Wait. I'm all ready doing that. It's why I haven't watched any of the movies that occur after the war. Ha.

And no, Shinobu isn't a bad guy. That I know of. I'm winging this thing for the most part so hey, he might be. *winks*

Reviews welcome.


	32. First Round

**First Round**

 **Author's Notes:** Like the last chapter, I'll only talk about matches everyone's interested in cuz kids.

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs and bondage sex. If this bugs you, then turn back now...though I'm not really sure how you made it this far. ALSO: _Bonds: Memories_ is going up today which means exploration of the couples in this series with more sex, less plot. I hope. Ha.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

The Village had become busy now that the chunin exams were in full swing. The public didn't know about the actual exams though and most civilians thought the exams started when the first round battles began in the arena. Tenten indulged her customers and went about selling commemorative kunai or shuriken dulled so no one stuck out an eye or something. The dulled weapons were made of cheaper metal and engraved by either her or Shun saying "Konoha Chunin Exams Participant" with the name of a person.

She hated the fact the fake weapons were out-selling her real weapons but hey, whatever kept her business going and paid the bills. Besides, Shun liked talking to the civilians who came in and it made him feel awesome to get a picture taken with some because of his Byakugan white eyes.

So what if they lied a bit and said Shun was a shinobi? No one could actually say he wasn't since he did learn his way around weapons and could do a few basic shinobi moves. Plus it meant they could charge a bit for any picture taken, a little more if he signed it. Besides, Naruto had told her they could.

Visitors from the other nations started coming a week after the preliminary round matches had finished other shinobi mainly but a lot of civilians. Konoha would be in a constant state of festival for two months which meant Tenten would be doing brisk business. Her only complaint would be she couldn't help Hizashi train as much as she wanted but Neji, Shi, Shinobu, and Hatomi would keep him busy.

Tenten smiled at her customers and sold a couple of decorative kunai. Shun posed for a few pictures and signed the ones he could while people walked through the cramped streets. Tenten had no idea how all these people thought they were going to fit in the main arena. Sure, Naruto had expanded it so it could now hold a comfortable 20,000 but there would be way more than 20,000 people ready to watch the chunin exams if they kept coming in like they had the past week.

Then again all the restaurants in the area would have it shown live on the televisions as would some of the hotels. Tenten didn't know how much tickets were to the event itself since she and any other shinobi with a relative or student in the exam didn't have to pay but tickets wouldn't be cheap. Not for an event that happened twice a year.

Tenten sold an actual kunai and thanked the genin who bought it. Wave genin or not, she'd sold a real weapon. It wasn't like she was arming the enemy. The nations rarely fought against each other except for a few stray former Sound and Rain shinobi who still wanted to crush the other nations.

Tenten sold a few more fake weapons then smiled when she spotted a familiar form coming towards her. Heads turned, male and female alike but the male lingered with smiles as Hatomi came striding through the crowd carrying a huge bento box in her hands.

Hatomi was dressed in a pair of black shorts, tight, and a black crop top with slender sleeves under a sheer white tee shirt that hung off her shoulders and ended above her navel. Hatomi had tied her long hair into two high pony tails at the back of her head and wore standard issue shinobi sandals. She also had her hitai-ate around her neck.

The customers in front of Tenten's shop gaped as Hatomi opened the door separating the customer area of the shop from the main counter. Hatomi set the bento down on a clear patch of work bench then gave Tenten a half hug before ruffling Shun's hair.

"Father wanted to make sure you two were fed," Hatomi said.

"Of course he did. How's Hizashi doing?" Tenten questioned.

Hatomi shrugged. Tenten noticed more people were coming into her shop now and had a feeling Hatomi's picture was on the brochure that talked about the chunin exams. Not many people in Konoha could be mistaken for Hatomi.

"Well enough. When I left, he and Shinobu were talking katana again while father trained with Shi," Hatomi said.

A lot of men were pretending to look at weapons while they were really looking at Hatomi. Tenten wanted to throw them all out but spotted her daughter's pose. She almost laughed but kept it back right on time.

Hatomi had her chest thrust up with her hands clutched behind her back and her chin up a bit to emphasize the line of her throat, chest, and flat stomach. She had stood in front of one of the few places at the counter where there was glass right through to the back so any customer could see her long, shapely legs and butt.

"Hyuuga Hatomi, right?" someone asked.

Hatomi turned, studied the man for a moment then nodded with a little hum. The man asked for a picture and Hatomi obliged, easily taking the man's money, giving it to Tenten then posing for the photo. Within a minute, Hatomi had a line.

Tenten knew she _should_ mind the fact her daughter used her assets to make money but really, it would keep paying the bills and let them eat. Yeah, she and Neji had gotten a ton of cash from missions but the missions were rare and with three shinobi teens to raise, food had to be bought in large quantities every other day or so.

Then there were replacement weapons, the costs for doing so much laundry, bandages for the random cuts, new clothes since Shi and Shun were going through a mini-growth spurt, Hatomi and Neji's books, and let's not forget all that weapon polish Hizashi and Tenten went through in a week.

Neji had never really grown out of living to a certain standard either, used to being able to buy what he wanted when he wanted it. Tenten hated to tell him no since he didn't know the meaning of the word when it came to what he wanted, so indulged him as much as she could. Besides, he couldn't balance a check book to save his life so he never saw the monthly expenses.

Hatomi looked to be having fun signing brochures or pictures as well as pointing people to Tenten for weapons. Tenten hardly had a break between customers to eat but made sure Shun took some time to have a bit of food. Hell, Tenten had survived a lot worse through the years. Ten minutes before Tenten normally closed the shop for an hour break, a Suna kunoichi walked in with a smile.

Tenten recognized her from the chunin exams, something Maiya. The girl was older than Hatomi by a year but stood shorter with long auburn hair, sea-green eyes, tanned skin, and a slender frame with a small bust and flat hips. Maiya had a beauty mark beside full heart-shaped lips and an exceptionally pretty face.

"Thank Kami, a weapon's shop run by a shinobi," Maiya said.

Hatomi finished signing a person's brochure and the older woman approached Maiya next. Maiya signed happily and took the money the woman offered with a grin. Shun was pushing customers out of the store, not literally of course, merely suggesting and they went as Maiya began looking over the display. Hatomi flicked the sign to "Closed: we'll be back in at 7:00PM" once everyone but Maiya had left.

"Oh, you didn't have to close shop for me," Maiya said.

"I do for any shinobi who walks in near closing, give 'em some space, you know?" Tenten asked.

Maiya beamed, revealing perfect white teeth. Tenten felt a bit jealous of the girl but pushed it down. Besides, she had Neji and Hatomi would probably be preferred by most men. Tenten mentally smacked herself and smiled at Maiya.

"So, what are you looking for exactly?" Tenten questioned.

Maiya's gaze flicked to Hatomi who was busy helping Shun count out the day's sales and putting aside some of the bigger bills to take home during the break.

"Don't worry, Hatomi won't say a word to any of the competition. Besides, she's all ready seen you fight," Tenten said.

Maiya laughed but nodded. Hatomi snorted but continued to help Shun with the daunting task. Tenten was happy to have her kids help at the shop. It meant less work she had to take home with her and do on her own.

"One of my blades was damaged in my fight against the Wave girl," Maiya said.

Tenten watched as the young kunoichi pulled a wrapped package out of her med pack. She placed it on the counter and unwrapped black fabric from the blade. Tenten had wanted to look at the girl's trench knives since she'd seen them in action and wanted to do a happy dance at getting her wish.

The trench knives had the standard four finger holes for grips but the hilt the grips extended from was much smaller, enough so a person could make a tighter fist. From the grips were three sharpened spikes so when Maiya punched, it would damn well hurt. Even more fun was the blade of the trench knife extended out either side of the hilt by four inches, jagged along the bottom like alligator teeth and smooth along the top but no less deadly as it came to an almost sword like sharpness.

It meant no matter how Maiya hit with her knives: you were going to get hurt.

Tenten could tell they were chakra blades. Even if she hadn't seen Maiya fight, Tenten's eye for weapons was the best in Konoha, probably the best in all the shinobi villages. The knives were made of solid chakra loving steel, the kind that drained chakra from a person and could release it into an emphasized nature blast, in Maiya's case: wind.

Tenten didn't need her kid's Byakugan to see the problem. One of the blades had a few minute cracks on it from doing one too many bursts of chakra out the tip over a short period of time. A couple more bursts and the blade would shatter under the pressure. It was why long blades were preferred for chakra manipulating unless a person placed chakra _over_ the blade of a weapon instead of through it.

"So?" Maiya asked.

"I don't have a replacement on hand, obviously, but I could repair the cracks. It'll take at least a week and cost about 20,000 ryo for repair, sharpening, and polishing of both," Tenten said.

Maiya winced. Tenten couldn't help it. The steel alone would cost 10,000 ryo out of her stock. She had to give herself time to repair, sharpen, and polish both blades.

"How many times could I do a blast out of this one if I didn't get it fixed?" Maiya questioned.

Tenten studied the blade under her magnifying glass and light. Maiya watched, biting her lip and Tenten could tell Hatomi was watching even though her back was turned. Tenten went back to the blade and frowned.

"Six or seven, _if_ you're lucky. You're opponent is a Mist shinobi who knows his swords so he might notice these cracks and take advantage of them. You break one of these in that match and even if you win the match, you won't win the next one without your weapons," Tenten said.

She wasn't lying. It was one thing she promised to herself when dealing with shinobi customers. Besides, most shinobi could see through a lie. Maiya ran a hand through her hair and frowned at the blade.

"I don't have that kind of money on me," Maiya admitted.

"Your sensei won't help?"

Tenten frowned when Maiya shook her head.

"He left me enough to get me through two weeks at the hotel so he could drop off my teammates. He's due back soon but I know he won't have that kind of money on him,"

Tenten considered then smiled. Maiya looked up at her with wide eyes while biting her lip.

"Well, why don't you come work here for the next say, seven days and we'll call it even?"

Maiya's jaw dropped but she nodded vigorously. Tenten smiled as Maiya placed her other blade on the counter and Tenten put both into the "immediate" bin on her work-counter.

"So, during the next week I'll be opening shop at eight. You'll be signing autographs, posing for pictures or doing any grunt work I ask. Any money you get from people comes to me until you pay off the 20,000 and I'll give you 2000 for a days' work. Sound fair?" Tenten asked.

"Yeah, no problem," Maiya said.

"Plus hey, you'll get to talk to Hatomi when she comes and visits, right Hatomi?"

Tenten winked at her daughter when Hatomi turned and raised an eyebrow. Hatomi had activated Byakugan while her back was turned but had deactivated it once Tenten called her name. Tenten could tell because the visible pupil was the last thing to go.

"I assume that means you want me to visit more often," Hatomi said.

"Well duh. You brought more customers because you're in the exams," Tenten said.

"Hn. I suppose I should earn my room and board occasionally," Hatomi said.

"Damn straight. Your father and I've been really nice to you and your brother since you two started training: no dishes duty, rarely laundry duty, and you guys haven't had to clean the house,"

"But we train,"

"Yeah, and I used to do all that plus buy my own food, cook it, clean the house, pay bills, and do my laundry. Your dad made time to help out around the Compound too, doing things like babysitting the younger kids or helping his aunts do cleaning in the Branch Houses. And what are you going to do when you move out, huh?"

"Hn,"

Hatomi's unimpressed sound matched her father's perfectly and Tenten couldn't help but smile. Maiya watched with her hands covering her mouth to keep from laughing while Shun outright chuckled at the counter.

"Anyway, let's finish packing up so I can have dinner at home before coming here to work on these," Tenten said.

Maiya brightened at her words and soon Tenten found she was inviting the girl inside for dinner. Neji raised an eyebrow but the little smile on his face told her he didn't mind. Shinobu greeted Maiya with a grin as did Hizashi. Shi nodded but didn't mind helping Shun get another chair.

Once everyone was settled, Tenten couldn't help but smile at the two extra editions. She raised an eyebrow at Neji and motioned towards Shinobu and Maiya with her eyes. Neji nearly died on his tea and Hizashi whacked his dad on the back a few times so Neji could breathe.

"Hell no," Neji said.

"Aw, why not?" Tenten asked.

She had really hoped he wouldn't mind having more kids. She liked the feeling of having so many people around the table.

"You are insane," Neji said.

"Yeah, you signed up for that when you got me the kick ass ring,"

"Hn,"

His simple "no" sound. Okay, so he wasn't flat out refusing to try. He just needed a little more prodding.

"Please?"

"Hn,"

A firm "stop arguing with me" sound. Tenten rolled her eyes as her four actual kids and two non-kids stared between her and Neji in wonder.

"Spoil-sport," Tenten said.

"What are they talking about?" Shinobu asked.

"No idea but see, mom and dad were on the same genin team so they've known each other for like twenty-two years. They can talk without talking way better than anyone I've ever seen," Hizashi said.

"That makes sense," Maiya said.

"Neji," Tenten tried.

"No. Do you not remember what you said after Shi and Shun were born?" Neji questioned.

Tenten saw it click in Hatomi's head and her daughter almost died on rice. Hizashi helped her out then froze as _he_ realized what Neji and Tenten meant. His jaw dropped along with his chopsticks.

"Wait, wait, wait, you want more _kids_?" Hizashi questioned.

Shi spat his milk out across the table. Shun dropped his chopsticks with the steamed vegetables on them. Shinobu and Maiya looked amused. Tenten snorted at her son.

"Yeah, and hey, we're both still young and I kind of like the feeling of having six seats filled by kids at this table," Tenten said.

"This is a bad idea. Why are we doing this? Those were your _exact_ words three weeks after Shun and Shi were born," Neji said.

"Really?" Hizashi asked.

"I do not remember this," Hatomi said with a blink and a little scowl.

"You were three, and oh yeah! That was the day Hizashi wanted to wear the pink boa and Hatomi did the puzzle he wanted to do," Tenten said.

Hizashi went bright pink as Shinobu tried not to laugh. Maiya didn't bother to hide it. Hatomi shook her head.

"Why did I want to wear a pink boa?" Hizashi asked.

"To this day we have no idea but we suspect it was to annoy your sister since you two were going through a phase of hating each other since we were spending more time with Shun and Shi," Neji answered.

"Anyway, why not have more?" Tenten questioned.

Neji sighed and Tenten giggled at Hizashi who balked. Hatomi raised an eyebrow while Shi and Shun stared at her like she had said she didn't like weapons anymore. Shinobu and Maiya looked to be having fun at least.

"They would be fourteen and eleven years younger than our current children," Neji said.

"So?"

"So, we would have to wait _another_ at least eighteen years before having the house to ourselves,"

"So?"

"Despite the fact we are both excellent multi-task-ers, it means potentially two more to train on top of the three we all ready have,"

"Technically by the time we're ready to train any more, Hizashi and Hatomi won't need us training them anymore and they'll be out of the house. Plus by that time, Shi will be on his own team so most of his training will be with them,"

"Wait, we're moving out in four years?" Hizashi asked.

"I plan to," Hatomi replied.

Tenten laughed when Hizashi gaped at his sister.

"Really?" Hizashi questioned.

"Why not?" Hatomi returned with a look that asked if her brother was insane.

Hizashi shook his head.

"Free food, free living arrangements, plus hey, training whenever we want," Hizashi said.

"Oh no, you two are _so_ paying rent if you live here after you turn eighteen," Tenten said.

"Wha?" Hizashi asked with his eyes wide.

"Besides, are you honestly going to sneak a woman into your room with mother and father right down the hall?" Hatomi questioned.

Hizashi did an impression of a fish out of water while everyone laughed at him. Hizashi groaned then shook his head.

"Okay, point, jeez," Hizashi muttered.

"Kids," Tenten said.

"No,"

"Kids,"

"No,"

"Yes?"

" _No,"_

"Please?"

"No,"

"Aw but don't you miss the smell of baby powder?"

"Do you miss the 3AM feedings, weight gain, hot flashes, emotional break downs for no reason, spit up, extra laundry, headaches from colic, lack of sleep for the same reason, the pain from pushing them out, the—"

"Now I do not want children," Hatomi broke in with a scowl.

Tenten pouted at her daughter and saw Neji raise an eyebrow. Hatomi raised hers in return.

"Hn," Neji said.

"Okay, so I don't miss all that but still, there's the baby powder smell, the snuggling, watching them learn and grow, knowing we're pissing off your family," Tenten said, smiling at her last point.

Neji snorted as the kids around her snickered.

"As much as I adore annoying my family: no," Neji said.

"I'm going to poke holes in all our contraceptives,"

"Then we will not be having sex for a long time,"

"Wha? Really?"

"Honestly,"

"Yeah, trying to eat here," Hizashi said.

"Hn," Hatomi said.

Shi poked at his grilled fish in sudden disinterest. Shun gaped while Shinobu and Maiya stared in wonder.

"Fine, fine, we'll talk later," Tenten said.

"There is nothing more to discuss," Neji said.

She sighed at him but he went back to eating as if the entire conversation hadn't happened. Tenten went back to her dinner then headed back to the shop with Hatomi, Maiya, and Shun in tow.

"You do realize if you have more children, Shi and Shun will have to share a room so the babies can have a nursery, correct?" Hatomi questioned.

"So not happening," Shun said.

Tenten deflated. Darn her daughter in making sense. Eh, it was probably fate anyway. Tenten cursed mentally. Yeah, she'd been married to Neji for so long he'd started to rub off on her. She didn't mind. That's what love was about.

* * *

Hizashi couldn't believe how packed the arena was. He stood in a sort of waiting room with Boruto, Metal, Mitsuki, Sarada, Chocho, Inojin, and Hatomi. Other shinobi had other rooms based on their Village and Hizashi saw the point of it. Right now Sozui and Tomohiko were fighting, Grass against Mist.

They had been going at it for at least ten minutes now and the crowd loved it. Civilians not just from Konoha but from every nation had been packed into the thousands of seats and either wore their country's main color or had some kind of signage telling everyone what shinobi they were here to support.

Along the first row of seats above the pit of the arena were all the parents of participants, jonin in charge or teammates. Shinobu sat with mom, dad, Shi, and Shun next to Lee-sensei, Yusa-sama, and everyone else's parents. Naruto-sama sat with the other Kage of course, while Kiba-sama, Shino-sama and a few other Konoha jonin sat with the rest of the parents.

Hizashi spotted Guy-sama in his wheelchair and couldn't help but smile. Sure the room they were in was kind of confining but they had a wall sized television to watch the matches. He didn't like the fact he had to hang around with his opponent and kind of missed talking to Shinobu and Maiya but he couldn't complain too much.

He noticed Hatomi looked worse off. She was here for show basically since she had a bye this round and unless all the first round matches and the first couple of second round matches all finished today, she might not even get to fight. Even worse, she couldn't talk to Sarada and Chocho who stood at opposite ends of the room, biting their lips and fidgeting.

Tomohiko got a kunai to the gut but became a water clone. Sozui didn't turn around quickly enough before the real Tomohiko appeared and slammed a fist into the back of Sozui's skull. The people holding up green signs with the Grass symbol all gasped. They began cheering madly but Sozui didn't get up. Tomohiko was announced as the winner and the Grass villagers made a bit of a ruckus.

Hizashi watched as Metal jumped to his feet from a standing hand stand position then stood in front of the exit door, bouncing in excitement. Boruto huffed but moved away from Mitsuki to stand near the doors. A chunin they didn't know opened the door and Metal took off in a sprint as his name was announced.

Konoha cheered loudly, mainly because of Lee-sensei and Guy-sama. Hizashi couldn't help but grin as Metal gave his Nice Guy Pose and everyone clapped. Boruto walked out second but did not even bother to lift a hand to wave. Metal turned to face Boruto and Hizashi focused on the screen.

He didn't know what kind of training Metal had been doing for the past month and had seen his teammate _once_ the entire month. That had been last night for dinner along with Yusa-sama, Lee-sensei, Maiya, and Shinobu. Genma announced for Metal and Boruto to start and Metal brought it. Hizashi grinned.

The smile faded when Boruto _caught_ Metal's kick then chucked him away. Metal landed on his hands but sprung his body forward, charging towards Boruto who smirked and began making hand seals.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu,"

Hizashi scowled along with Hatomi as five Boruto's appeared on the field. Metal didn't bother stopping and kicked one in the head. It puffed away but Boruto and four began to strike back. Metal wasn't one to start panicking when he was out numbered. He fought back with force, faster than the clones and Boruto but getting in fewer hits since Boruto just kept replacing a clone when it was taken down.

If Boruto's strategy was to wear Metal down then they'd be here a long while. Metal skidded out of the circle of Boruto and looked up at his father. Lee-sensei gave a Nice Guy pose and Metal grinned. Boruto waited, well, him and three friends, while Metal bent.

Hizashi had no idea what Metal was up to as his friend pushed down his leg warmers then took off a set of leg weights from each leg. He let them drop and a dust cloud formed beside him from the sheer weight of the leg weights. Hizashi smirked.

Metal moved so quick he left an after image. All three clones disappeared before Boruto could even realize the kind of trouble he was in. Boruto was punched in the face and sent flying. Then Boruto was flung upwards by one of Metal's kicks. Metal followed and delivered a brutal kick to Boruto's chest which flung him towards the ground.

A log clattered into the crater formed from Metal's kick and Hizashi saw the movement before Metal would've. Metal hovered in mid-air, unable to dodge unless he saw something coming but Metal didn't have Byakugan.

"Rasengan!"

The swirling mass of wind chakra hit Metal in the lower back and sent him spinning and flying through the air. He landed _hard_ on one of the walls under the row of shinobi and Hizashi winced as Metal fell from the crater in the wall onto the ground. Boruto landed and waited with a grin on his face.

Hizashi let out a breath of relief as Metal got to his feet. Metal shook a bit and blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth but he smiled. Metal wiped the blood off his face and took up a stance Hizashi hadn't seen often. He did see Hatomi start nibbling on her lip.

"Gate of Opening! Release! Gate of Healing! Release! Gate of Life! Release! Gate of Pain! Release!"

Metal's eyes had gone completely white and his skin took on a deep gray tone Hizashi normally associated with red. Veins appeared all over Metal's face while chakra burst out around him so forcefully it created a visible shield and tore up the ground beneath him. Hizashi hadn't known Metal could open four of the eight gates. Last anyone had checked, Metal had been able to open two.

Metal moved and Hizashi gulped.

Metal had been fast before but now he wasn't even a blur of motion. It was like he didn't even _exist._ Boruto flew into the air as if he had jumped but his positioning told everyone Metal had landed a hit to Boruto's mid-section. Metal's white bandages began wrapping around Boruto and Hizashi knew what was coming next.

"Front Lotus!"

Boruto's head hit the ground first and made yet another crater in the arena floor. Metal bounced away and skidded to a stop. Hizashi gaped. A log broke in half in the middle of the crater.

"Shuriken Rasengan!"

The flying wind chakra slammed into the back of Metal's neck and Metal rolled head over heels until connecting with another wall, the one right under the Kage. Cracks raced up the wall and the balcony the Kage stood on trembled. The Kage did not look perturbed.

Metal burst out of the crack in the wall as Boruto gaped in wonder. Boruto tried to move but again Metal caught him. Hizashi couldn't close his mouth even if he wanted too. He'd _never known_ how strong Metal was even without proper chakra manipulation.

"Reverse Lotus!"

Boruto was flung into the air by Metal's bandages and then Metal brought the onslaught. Only one person could survive a Reverse Lotus and that was Gaara-sama because of his sand shield. Boruto had no such shield. Hell, he might not _live_ after this.

Metal delivered the open-handed strike and final kick, sending Boruto back to the ground with authority. Metal went down with him but didn't land on his feet. Instead, he rolled until coming to a sitting position a six yards from the crater, panting, color back to normal and trembling all over. He was finished. Then again so was, no way.

Boruto wasn't in the crater but a little puff of smoke told the story. The real Boruto came running in from the side lines. Metal tried to stand but fell to his knees. Hizashi didn't want to watch but didn't take his eyes from his friend as Boruto slammed a Rasengan into Metal's chest.

Metal hit the ground rolling and stayed on one side, eyes closed, and body not even moving. Silence then the entire arena burst into applause as Genma called the match, naming Boruto the winner.

"Well, I guess that's what happens when you can't manipulate chakra,"

Hizashi glared at Mitsuki who grinned at him. Hizashi _felt_ Hatomi's heated stare and he wasn't even looking at her. Mitsuki took a step back but kept the smile on his face.

"I'll get you back for that," Hizashi said.

No one insulted his best friend, teammate, cousin, and future brother-in-law. He hardly saw Lee-sensei and Yusa-sama leaving the crowd and heading towards wherever they would take Metal.

"Sure you will," Mitsuki said.

Cheering broke them from their glaring contest and Hizashi looked up to see Maiya and Yumiko enter. He laughed when Maiya wiped the floor with Yumiko in five minutes. Chikaze from Suna beat Masuhiro from Wave. Hizashi grinned and strode towards the door. Mitsuki followed after him but Hizashi paid the snake-bastard no attention.

"Next up we have Hyuuga Hizashi of Konoha,"

Hizashi strode out of the other set of doors and into the booming cheers of what seemed like the entire arena. Mom, Shun, Guy-sama, and even Shinobu were screaming wildly. Dad smiled as did Shi but Hizashi knew it was enough. He beamed at the audience before taking his position near Genma.

"Facing him is Mitsuki of Konoha,"

The cheers died down impressively all but Orochimaru and Kabuto who sat among the Konoha shinobi. A few people muttered but no one was outright egging Mitsuki on. Mitsuki took it with a tiny smile and faced Hizashi. Hizashi took a little breath and let it out slowly.

"Begin,"

Hizashi activated Byakugan as he unleashed his Bo, striking at Mitsuki before the prick could even think of moving. Mitsuki dodged and back flipped away which put the distance between them to six yards. Hizashi tossed senbon hidden under kunai as Mitsuki started running. The needles landed in the chakra points Hizashi had been aiming for and he smirked as Mitsuki stumbled.

Mitsuki was doing hand seals but Hizashi tossed out more weaponry. Mitsuki let the weapons hit him then grinned. Hizashi didn't like the look of this smile.

"Summoning Jutsu: Samshi,"

Hizashi had to leap out of the way as Samshi, a giant purple snake burst into the arena. Screams came from the crowd and Hizashi saw most of the shinobi in the area scowl. If looks killed then Mitsuki would be dead thousands of times over. The only one who smiled was Orochimaru. Kabuto, weird-ass dragon skin and all, grinned.

Okay, so Mitsuki had learned how to summon a fifty yard long snake with dark purple scales, green eyes, and some horns on its head. No big deal. Bigger targets meant easier to subdue. Hizashi let his Bo disappear and pulled a scroll from his belt as Samshi struck out at him.

It was easy to jump into the air using a well timed burst of chakra to his legs and Hizashi spotted Mitsuki coming to meet him. Hizashi sunk into an aerial Revolving Heaven which Mitsuki smacked into and went flying. Hizashi stopped spinning and kept his smile back as Samshi shifted upwards to snap him out of the air.

Bad move for the snake but the beast wouldn't notice.

Hizashi tossed down his bombs with one hand and formed a half tiger seal with the other. He caught the look of utter dismay on Orochimaru's face and the smirk on dad's. This was going to be awesome.

"Boom,"

Samshi's head blew up, flinging blood, scales, bits of skull, brain, and fluid through the air. It rained down on the arena floor, covering it in gore as Samshi's big body hit the ground with a thud that rocked the building. Hizashi spotted Mitsuki skidding along the ground and flung kunai towards the bastard.

The distance was huge and Mitsuki spotted the kunai coming. Even so, he didn't dodge them all and got one high in the right shoulder while two scrapped by his legs, one took out a chunk of hair, and another skimmed past his side. Hizashi landed on Samshi's corpse and took off in a sprint, flinging out more weapons as he went.

Mitsuki kept running but a good deal of Hizashi's weapons skimmed the other teen. Hizashi guided Mitsuki towards a puddle of blood and as expected, Mitsuki skidded and almost fell over. Hizashi closed the distance between him and the snake and kept his face neutral even though he wanted to grin.

"Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms: Two strikes,"

He hit both tenketsu points and Mitsuki winced.

"Four strikes,"

Two for each lung and Mitsuki couldn't breathe properly anymore. Hizashi hoped Boruto was watching. If Tomohiko didn't take him out and whoever won between Maiya and Chikaze then it would be Hizashi's turn.

He wouldn't let Boruto make it to the finals.

"Eight strikes,"

Mitsuki punched but Hizashi easily dodged. He prepared for sixteen strikes but scowled when Mitsuki's neck extended and he lashed out like a damned viper. Hizashi stepped back out of the way but snakes came out from under Mitsuki's sleeves.

"Revolving Heaven,"

Hizashi saw Mitsuki grin but couldn't understand why. He did a minute later when Mitsuki tossed something at the Revolving Heaven which broke on impact. The problem was whatever Mitsuki had thrown went _through_ Hizashi's barrier and hit his flesh.

Hizashi held back his yelp and leaped backwards out of the way. Some kind of poison and damn did it burn! Hizashi ignored the pain and saw the poison begin to seep through his system. Not good.

Hizashi pushed chakra to all the coin sized red marks on his flesh and the poison stopped moving. Huh. Chakra manipulated poison. It made sense. Orochimaru had probably made it specifically for Mitsuki's match.

"Vacuum Palm,"

Mitsuki had been running in at him but flew backwards now and Hizashi tossed out more weapons, hitting Mitsuki more than a few times but not enough to win the match or keep the other teen down for long.

Hizashi mentally cursed as when he had re-directed the chakra in his arms, all the points of poison along his arms had started to move again. Okay, so he couldn't use his Hyuuga techniques for long. He didn't mind. Hizashi preferred mom's weapon style.

Hizashi summoned up his Bo again and went in for a close combat battle. Mitsuki took the bait then summoned more snakes from his sleeves. Hizashi knocked them away with his Bo and ran backwards out of the line of fire. The snakes landed and began to come at him.

Well crap.

Hizashi shifted his Bo to one hand and took up senbon in his right, tossing out senbon to skewer the snakes as he kept stepping back. Mitsuki was running in so Hizashi tossed a bunch of senbon towards the prick and he hit two more of Mitsuki's tenketsu.

Hizashi threw his Bo like a javelin and smacked Mitsuki in the nose which made the jerk's nose explode. Hizashi kept his grin back as he finished off the rest of Mitsuki's snakes and tossed out some trip wire only he or Hatomi could see.

Hizashi took up a Hyuuga fighting stance while Mitsuki got to his feet, Hizashi's Bo in hand, and blood pouring out of his nose. Mitsuki had a snarl on his face, amber eyes narrowed, and holding the Bo wrong but Hizashi wouldn't correct him.

Mitsuki charged. Hizashi half turned and tugged on his chakra wires. Mitsuki realized what Hizashi was doing too late. Part of Samshi's corpse rose into the air then came crashing down on Mitsuki who had no time to cut through the wire around his ankle then dodge.

Hizashi waited for a moment before shifting the massive body again to reveal Mitsuki in a spread-eagle position on the ground, eyes closed, and not moving. He was still breathing and Hizashi switched vision fields to see he had broken a few of Mitsuki's ribs, his left fibula, and his right ulna. Hizashi had also busted his Bo in half but it didn't matter. He got smart and bought a spare.

Genma stood over the snake-jerk then smirked.

"Winner: Hyuuga Hizashi,"

Hizashi relaxed his stance as the arena let out an immense cheer. Med-nin came on the floor as well as someone to remove the giant corpse. One med-nin came to him and frowned at the fact Hizashi kept his Byakugan activated.

"The poison's chakra manipulated so if I stop holding it back it'll keep going through my system," Hizashi said.

The med-nin scowled but guided him off the floor, waving down Sakura-sama as he did. Hizashi spotted dad glowering and saw mom and dad moving. Hizashi kept back his smile as mom, dad, Shi, and Shun started heading towards him. At least they wouldn't miss Hatomi's match.

* * *

Inojin had taken down Ringo but Hatomi knew it had been at a cost. Inojin hardly had any chakra left and later today he would have to fight Hizashi. Hatomi glanced away from the screen as Sarada and Chocho left her alone in the room. Hatomi sighed as her friends disappeared briefly before Sarada re-appeared on the screen. Hatomi almost hit the ceiling when the door opened and Maiya burst into the room with a grin.

"What in the world are you doing here?" Hatomi asked.

"Aw, I missed you too Queenie," Maiya said.

Hatomi kept her smile back at Maiya's nickname for her. She could not help but smile when Maiya wrapped an arm around Hatomi's shoulders and pulled her close, smiling all the while.

"And to actually answer your question: I got bored all alone in my room so I came to find you,"

Hatomi hummed but nodded. Her gaze flicked to the screen in time to see Sarada and Chocho begin to fight. They were not using their kekkei genkai yet, Sarada had not even activated Sharingan.

"Are you going to be so hesitant when you have to fight one of them?" Maiya questioned.

"Showing hesitance while fighting a friend would make others assume I am not ready to be chunin," Hatomi answered.

Maiya snorted.

"Complicated no then,"

"Hn,"

They watched the screen in silence as Chocho and Sarada continued to spar. People were beginning to shout down at the two to take the match seriously and Hatomi did not blame the crowd. Chocho started wincing at every jibe.

"This is kinda sad to watch,"

"Hn,"

Hatomi agreed with her Suna friend. Sarada and Chocho were not representing Konoha kunoichi well in this moment. Worse yet, Hatomi would not be fighting until the end of the day and even so it would be against whomever won this.

"So, when you beat whoever wins this, you'll probably be fighting your brother,"

Hatomi stiffened and Maiya winked at her. The Suna kunoichi was right. Hizashi would beat Inojin since the Yamanaka teen had hardly any chakra left and Hatomi would defeat either of her friends. It meant in a week, Hatomi would face down her brother.

"And assuming Boruto beats Tomohiko then I'll beat him and fight whoever wins out of you two,"

Hatomi hummed. This assumed Maiya would beat Chikaze then Boruto or Tomohiko. Hatomi knew Maiya would beat Chikaze as Maiya had not wasted much chakra and Chikaze would be weakened. As to whether Maiya could be Boruto, well, it would be seen.

Maiya proved to be a powerful fighter but Boruto's clones and quick replacement jutsu had taken down Metal, something Hatomi had not thought possible considering how powerful Metal had become in a month. If Metal had the Hyuuga eyes he would not have missed the replacements happening.

"You can win against Hizashi, right?"

Hatomi considered. Hizashi had the benefit of long range attacks which she did not have. His close range attacks were as deadly as he could switch from Hyuuga technique to mother's more aggressive style flawlessly. They had never formally fought full out so Hatomi was unsure whether or not she could win against her brother.

"You don't think you can?"  
"I am unsure. As you have seen, Hizashi can be unpredictable at the best of times,"

"Yeah, true. He's like the perfect shinobi: long range, mid-range, and two types of close range plus he's a good strategist and can see three hundred and sixty degrees all around. But hey, you're no push-over either,"

Hatomi smiled at the compliment and watched as Sarada activated her Sharingan. Chocho began fighting with her family techniques and the battle started to get interesting. Chocho used the Human Boulder technique but Sarada _stopped_ it with a single punch, sending Chocho flying into the air only to land hard on the ground.

Sarada followed up with a ground shattering punch and won the match. Hatomi hummed and was about to walk out of the room towards where her family might be but Maiya stopped her. Hatomi had no idea what to do when Maiya's lips landed on hers, pressing softly, and one hand came up to hold the back of Hatomi's head while the other arm wrapped around her waist.

Maiya tasted of strawberries and her lips were damp, tongue prodding against Hatomi's as if wishing to gain entrance. Hatomi did not want to give it. She put both hands onto Maiya's shoulders and pushed.

Maiya stumbled backwards but caught herself before falling over and Hatomi stared at her, hating she had widened her eyes and was panting. Hatomi did not know what to say.

She knew about same-gender relations since Naoki lived with a man outside of the Compound. Even so, Hatomi did not feel, well, she did not _think_ she felt the same attraction to women as Naoki felt towards other men. Hatomi had never even considered it.

"Er, sorry," Maiya said.

She had turned deep scarlet. Hatomi let out a little breath and forced her body to relax. Maiya had become a quick and welcome friend. Hatomi did not want to lose the friendship over something so, so, whatever this was.

"I, it's fine,"

"A contraction,"

"Yes, well, I, I'm not sure about, ah, that,"

"You mean me kissing you or kissing girls in general?"

"Both,"

"Oh,"

Maiya carefully walked towards her so she could take one of Hatomi's hand in hers. Hatomi allowed the contact. Her heart raced from nervousness and she wanted to go find her family to hide with but she could not leave Maiya so, so, damn it.

"I never considered being with a woman," Hatomi admitted.

Maiya smiled at her, a sad twist to her lips, but shrugged.

"I always kind of knew. When the other girls started having crushes on boys a few years ago I kept thinking how pretty they all were,"

"I like Metal,"

"You, oh,"

Now Maiya looked as if Hatomi had slammed a chakra-laced palm into her sternum. Hatomi clenched Maiya's hand when Maiya tried to pull away and the Suna kunoichi gave her a curious look.

Hatomi _did_ like Metal. He made her happy but the same could be said for Hizashi or father. She enjoyed his thick eyebrows and gritty determination. She took pleasure in him pulling down the spandex suit to reveal the chiselled muscles but even so, Hatomi's heart did not beat purely out of nervousness now. The thought of losing Maiya even as a friend...

"But I am not sure if it is because I am supposed to or if what I think I feel towards him is real," Hatomi admitted.

Maiya smiled but this time it did not have a sorrowful twist to it. She started laughing and Hatomi blinked.

"So I just confused the Hell out of you, didn't I?"

"Hn,"

Maiya giggled and Hatomi jolted when Maiya kissed her cheek. Hatomi did not feel opposed to it exactly. She did not know _what_ she felt. Maiya pulled out of Hatomi's grip and Hatomi felt lost.

"Well, you think about it. We can still talk for the time I'm here and I won't ask about what you're feeling. But, lemme know, okay?"

Hatomi nodded. She watched as Maiya left the room with a backwards wave and a smile. Hatomi stared at the closed door for several moments before raising a hand to her lips and resting it there.

Interesting.

* * *

So the whole family scene was way longer than I wanted. Whoops. Did I mention I don't plan ahead with this? Yeah? Okay, so the whole scene with Maiya and Hatomi just sort of happened. Hatomi was supposed to watch the match alone then Maiya came in, surprised me too. So did the kiss. Where will it go? Pft, I don't know. Like I said, I don't plan that far ahead with this thing.

As always though: reviews welcome.


	33. Second Round

**Second Round**

 **Author's note:** Again, I don't plan this thing much except for the Point of View for the sections (briefly) and I have a general idea of where this is going to "end." Will Hatomi get with Metal or Maiya? I don't know either.

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs and bondage sex. If this bugs you, then turn back now...though I'm not really sure how you made it this far.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Neji hated hospitals, especially those in the bowls of the arena. They reminded him of serious injuries, represented down-time and frankly, Neji would rather not be anywhere near such a place. But, Hizashi had been hurt and Neji had to be at his son's side.

Never mind Hizashi had been unintentionally put into the same examination room as Hinata-sama had been put in after Neji had almost killed her twenty years ago. Disregard the fact one of the med-nin helping Sakura was the same man who had helped heal Neji from Kidomaru's arrows the same time ago. One of the other med-nin had been the one to see Neji after he had almost died from the ten-tails attack.

Damn fate.

Neji squeezed Tenten's hand a bit harder as she, him, Shi, and Shun waited along the wall inside the room Hizashi was being looked over. Hizashi sat on the examination table, clothes off to his boxers, Byakugan still activated, hair in a messy bun atop his head, and frowning in concentration.

Coin sized red marks littered his body, dozens of them all over his chest and arms. There were a few on his back, on his legs, and even one on his right shoulder. Apparently Orochimaru had made a poison that could go through chakra, more specifically, penetrate the Revolving Heaven.

Neji did not doubt Orochimaru would have started working on it the moment he found out Mitsuki would face Hizashi. Why the bastard had been allowed to live and reproduce had always been beyond Neji's thought process. Yes, Orochimaru had helped in the war and "reformed" but to get off without any kind of punishment after attacking Konoha and killing the third...

"Okay, try again to stop focusing your chakra," Sakura said.

She had tried a few cures, general anti-venoms so far but nothing was proving to be working. Sakura assumed the poison would be snake-venom based and Neji did not fault her in this. He saw Hizashi scowl.

"No, nothing," Hizashi said.

At this rate Hizashi might not be able to compete in the second round matches. Pity as Inojin still lay in a bed trying to recover as much chakra as possible from his last match. Hizashi would win his second match if he could get the poison out of his system.

Neji looked up to see Hatomi enter the room. This meant the last match had taken place. There would be three hours for a break then Boruto would fight Tomohiko. Maiya would fight Chikaze then Hizashi would have to be ready to fight. At most they might have the afternoon. At worse they would have three and a half hours.

Neji let out a little breath and stared straight ahead as Sakura considered. A med-nin came in with paperwork and Neji heard Sakura mutter a little finally. She began reading over the paper work and her brow furrowed. Neji did not like the look of annoyance on Sakura's face.

"Damn it," Sakura said.

"What?" Tenten asked before Neji could.

Sakura let out a breath and shook her head.

"The antidote for this poison will take me at least a day to make. I can't in good conscience let Hizashi go back out there having to concentrate on keeping this stuff from spreading to the rest of his body," Sakura said.

"No, I can totally do that, I mean, I've been doing it for a while now," Hizashi said.

Neji wanted to go wring Orochimaru's neck. Hizashi would be forced to forfeit because of the snake bastard. He focused on Sakura but heard Tenten grinding her teeth. Neji saw the fury in Tenten's eyes.

"You can do it so well now because you're concentrating on not fighting. You'll be able to keep it up for long enough for me to make this but fighting while doing it? Hell no. Sorry, you'll have to forfeit," Sakura said.

Hizashi sagged and glared at the ground. Neji wanted to punch something then blinked. Orochimaru was not a stupid man. Neji let go of Tenten's hand and gave her a little nod. Light sparked in her eyes and she smiled as she approached Sakura. Neji walked past Hatomi who simply stared straight ahead with a neutral expression on her face.

Neji wanted to pause and consider Hatomi as the expression was _too_ blasé but one problem at a time. Neji left the room and began striding towards the upper level. He activated Byakugan and searched the crowd for someone he never thought he would seek out willingly.

Orochimaru was leaving the arena. Neji frowned but took a side exit before rushing to catch up with the snake. It did not take him long, even with the crowd, as everyone tended to give Orochimaru and Kabuto a wide berth. Neji slowed his steps when he got close to Orochimaru and took a little breath.

Orochimaru would not make a poison without making the antidote. He would do this for two reasons: so he could 'safely' test the poison without killing anything and so he could upstage Tsunade-sama. Orochimaru likely had the antidote on his person though why he did not bother to visit Mitsuki perturbed Neji. He decided he would not question.

"Orochimaru-sama," Neji said.

Orochimaru turned and a sly grin came to his features. Amber eyes lit in amusement as the sannin took in Neji's form. Kabuto smirked but said nothing, continuing on his way to wherever it was he intended to go. People walked around them but Neji did not care about the civilians.

"Sama, hm? You must want something from me, Hyuuga," Orochimaru said.

Neji pushed down the want to punch the man, search his clothes then walk back to Sakura with whatever looked promising. It would not be proper or wise.

"The antidote," Neji said.

Orochimaru hummed and tapped his smooth chin with a perfectly manicured nail. His eyes tilted upwards but the smirk did not leave the too-young face. Neji clenched his jaw and forced his hands to stay in their relaxed state.

"Now what antidote could you possibly mean? I make a lot of poison you know," Orochimaru said.

Neji counted to ten mentally as Orochimaru grinned at him, amber eyes dancing in delight. Neji let out a puff of air and kept the rage off his face. Because of this bastard, Hizashi would be stuck in a hospital for twenty-four hours unable to do _anything_ but concentrate on stopping poison from killing him.

"The one you gave to your son to attack my son with in the first round matches today," Neji said.

He was pleasantly surprised at how level and calm his voice had come out. It also helped the stream of people from the arena had become a trickle and no one came near them. Orochimaru chuckled.

"Oh, _that_ poison. What makes you think I have the antidote?"

Neji resisted the urge to Vacuum Palm the snake into the nearest dumpster as amusing as it would be. Unfortunately, Neji _needed_ Orochimaru if Hizashi would have any chance of continuing on in the chunin exams.

"You would not be stupid enough not to make one for testing your poison and to hold something over Tsunade-sama's head,"

Another laugh. Neji bit his tongue.

"Ah, you know me better than I thought. Who says I want to _give_ you the antidote?"

"Konoha law states if you create a new poison you must log it and it's antidote into the Konoha medical files,"

Orochimaru snickered.

"And since when have I listened to Konoha law?"

Neji wished to Kami he could kill this man. Knowing Neji's luck, the snake would somehow manage to come back to life. Again.

"I will seek out Naruto,"

Orochimaru rolled his eyes. Neji noticed he had clenched his hands but did not bother to loosen them now.

"I'm so terrified,"

Neji let out another breath and considered. Ah. Orochimaru was not a dense man.

"What do you want?"

Orochimaru grinned and took half a step forward. Neji had left two yards between them but Orochimaru closed the gap until Neji could _smell_ the snake. The closeness would not be appreciated with friends, never mind Orochimaru.

"Smart but you always were and still are. Your blood, not a lot of it, just enough to fill this vial," Orochimaru said.

Neji glanced down at the vial Orochimaru had pulled from out of a sleeve. It was glass, as large as a person's pinkie finger but even that small amount of blood could do much for a man like Orochimaru. This was the man who had made an entire Uchiha clan out of a few drops of blood from one Uchiha.

"Unless of course you don't want your son to participate in the rest of the exams. And really, how long can he hold back the poison with his chakra? Even if Sakura and Tsunade work together they won't get the antidote made in time before your son collapses from chakra depletion. The poison would kill him an hour after," Orochimaru said.

Neji forced his mind into clarity. Hizashi had excellent chakra control but he had used at least half in the fight with Mitsuki. Stopping the poison would wittle away at Hizashi's resources over the twenty-four hours and Hizashi would...

No.

Neji bit his tongue again and focused on the pain. Orochimaru was correct though. Hizashi could not hold back the poison forever and Sakura could not give him anything to amplify Hizashi's chakra or it would magnify the potency of the poison.

Either Neji put his entire clan in jeopardy or he allowed his son to die.

Neji blinked away the tears threatening to dampen his eyes and considered. He glanced down, away from Orochimaru's coy smile and knew Hyuuga rule, hell, _shinobi_ rule would dictate he let Hizashi die to protect the secrets of the Hyuuga from Orochimaru.

It would mean again a Hizashi had to die to protect the clan.

But was it not shinobi like Asuma who said to protect those in the next generation? Was it not shinobi like Kakashi and Guy-sensei who said those who left a man behind were the worst kind of trash? Could Neji in good conscious refuse to protect his own flesh and blood, his first born son, the one he named after his father, so his clan's secrets would not be let out?

Centuries of careful in-breeding, the Caged Bird Seal, and living in the Compound had kept the Byakugan safe and out of the hands of someone like the monster grinning at him. Could Neji allow the Hyuuga secrets to be spilled, literally from his veins, to save _one_?

There had to be some other way. He could go to Naruto, of course, but in the time it took Neji to track down Naruto, Orochimaru could simply walk out of Konoha again and disappear. Mitsuki had lost. There was obviously nothing holding Orochimaru to Konoha.

"Tick tock, Hyuuga," Orochimaru said happily.

The bastard was right. The longer Neji took with this decision then the less time Hizashi would have to be healed. Neji activated a partial Byakugan, enough so Orochimaru would not see the hint of pupil in his eyes.

Orochimaru carried no bottles on his person and no capsules. The man would not be idiotic enough to bring the antidote with him to the arena. Neji let out a breath.

"The antidote first," Neji said.

"And I assume you want to make sure it works?" Orochimaru asked.

"Yes,"

"And I will get your blood?"

"Yes,"

"Follow me then,"

Orochimaru turned on his heel. Neji followed the bastard to Kabuto's home. Once there, Orochimaru strode in and went to Kabuto's kitchen of all places. Neji bit the inside of his cheek when Orochimaru pressed on a portion of the wall to reveal a hidden cabinet _full_ of suspicious looking fluids. Orochimaru took one and led Neji back out of the Kabuto's home.

The trip back to the arena then down into the hospital area went by swiftly enough. Neji led Orochimaru into the proper room and almost started laughing. Sakura and Tsunade-sama looked up and glared at Orochimaru. Tenten snarled, Hizashi glowered, while Shi and Shun gave Orochimaru heated glares. Hatomi's look could have killed but Orochimaru took all this with a smile.

"The antidote," Orochimaru said, shaking the bottle he held.

"Like we need it," Tsunade-sama returned.

Orochimaru chuckled. Neji gave the bottle in Orochimaru's hand a quick glance before meeting Tenten's eyes. She raised an eyebrow when he pursed his lips vaguely before looking to Hizashi. Tenten frowned minutely but nodded her head an iota.

"Mm-hm, and how long do you think the boy can keep holding off the poison with chakra while you two shoot in the dark for the cure?"

Orochimaru shrieked when the bottle he held was tugged out of his grip thanks to Tenten's careful aiming with her whip. She caught the bottle in her free hand then gave Sakura and Tsunade-sama a look which made both med Nin shiver.

Sakura delivered it and Hizashi bit his lip. He grinned a moment later and Neji activated Byakugan to be sure. The poison was breaking down harmlessly and Hizashi would simply urinate it out with the rest of his waste. Neji let out a breath.

"Well, you owe me, Hyu—"

"No,"

"What?"

"You did not actually give it to anyone. My wife took it from you. No deal, Orochimaru,"

Neji could not help but smile as Orochimaru sputtered in an undignified way. He was about to argue but heard the cracking of Sakura and Tsunade-sama's knuckles then decided a quick retreat would be the better plan. Neji allowed his shoulders to relax as Tenten grinned.

"What was the deal?" Tsunade-sama asked.

"Ah, a vial of my blood but I knew in advance Tenten would have stopped any such deal," Neji said.

So he may be lying about knowing for sure Tenten would have stopped the deal but no one needed to know this but him. Besides, Tenten always had his back. She did give him a quirked eyebrow to let him know she was going to laugh her ass off when they got back home since she had seen through the lie. Then she would beat the crap out of him for even thinking of dealing with Orochimaru like that.

Tsunade-sama sighed then looked to Hizashi who blinked. She shook her head and Neji yelped as she hit him over the head. He landed on his ass and stared up at the smirking blond former-Hokage.

"You're lucky I'm betting on one of your kids to win this," Tsunade-sama said.

Neji blinked. Hizashi and Hatomi deadpanned while Shi and Shun snickered. Tenten rubbed her temples as if thinking hurt. Neji glanced towards his son but managed to keep back his smile. Hizashi was safe.

* * *

Hizashi flexed his arms above his head and yawned. He was sitting in the waiting room with Hatomi but not Inojin or Boruto. Inojin would stay in a bed until their match and Boruto was sticking with Mitsuki. Sarada had decided to sit with Chocho until she had to fight Hatomi and Hizashi found it weird to sit in a big empty room with his weirdly quiet sister.

Hatomi hadn't said a single word since she had entered his room and been allowed to leave ten minutes before the start of the next set of matches. Sure she had glared but besides the look she gave to Orochimaru her face had remained blank.

"Okay, what the Hell is wrong?" Hizashi asked.

He couldn't take her too silent brooding. She looked at him with wide eyes then flushed and looked towards the ground.

She sat on one of the chairs in the room with her legs crossed at the ankle and stretched out so only her heels touched the floor. Her hands were beside her butt and clenched the edges of her chair as if she would fall out of it. Hatomi's shoulders were stiff but she didn't sit as straight as she normally did.

"Maiya came to watch Chocho and Sarada's match with me," Hatomi said.

Hizashi frowned. Hatomi's voice was soft and she spoke slowly as if considering her every word. This wasn't his normally confident sister and if this Hatomi fought Sarada then this Hatomi might lose. Hizashi couldn't have that. One of them would have to kick Boruto's ass.

"And?"

Hatomi let out a little breath then met his eyes. Hizashi saw something he had never seen in Hatomi: _doubt._ He kept his face curious instead of letting it fall into a worried frown. Hatomi must have noticed something because she shook her head.

"Nothing," Hatomi said.

"Obviously something cuz you're acting weird. I'm your twin brother. We shared a womb and all so I'm pretty sure you can tell me anything,"

Hizashi put a smile on his face when she stared at him. She let out a long breath and shook her head. She considered for a moment with her head down and Hizashi waited. He kept his smile on his face when Hatomi shifted in her chair to face him.

"She kissed me," Hatomi said.

Hizashi was pretty sure he had heard Hatomi wrong. Of course Hatomi meant Maiya had _kicked_ her, not kissed her. Girls just didn't go around kissing other girls. Hizashi knew it was possible because of Uncle Naoki but Hatomi and Maiya?

"She what now?" Hizashi asked to be sure.

"She kissed me, on the mouth and admitted to liking girls," Hatomi said.

Hizashi opened his mouth but didn't know what to say so shut it. Hatomi kept looking at him as if waiting for something but Hizashi didn't know what would help her. He didn't even know what to say.

"Did you like it?"

Okay, he probably shouldn't have asked his sister that of all things. She raised an eyebrow at him and bit her lip. Lips that had been kissed by Maiya. Huh.

"I, well, maybe? I don't know," Hatomi said.

Hatomi doubted herself _and_ she had contracted a word. The underworld was freezing over and the sun might explode tomorrow.

"What about Metal?"

She _shrugged_. Hizashi stared. Good thing her match wasn't until the end of all this. Maybe he could take a while with Inojin so she would fight first thing in the morning instead of sometime tonight.

"I still like him in the ways I always did but I am unsure if it is because I am supposed to like him or if I do feel something towards him like mother and father feel towards each other,"

Okay. Hizashi was so far out of his scope he needed a freaking week of travel to get back. He opened his mouth again then closed it. Hatomi sighed and stared at her feet.

"I don't even know what to tell you," Hizashi said.

"I know. I do not know what to tell myself," Hatomi said.

Hizashi frowned then met her eyes again when she looked up at him. She was pouting slightly and Hizashi sighed before running a hand through his hair. She wouldn't like what he was about to suggest.

"Could there be a chance she did it just to confuse you in hopes you'd lose your match so she wouldn't have to face you?"

Hatomi blinked then considered. She shook her head.

"Even if she did it to weaken me for my match against Sarada she would not be fighting me after. She will fight either Tomohiko or Boruto. And if I lose against Sarada then you will beat her simply because you are better than her and I suspect you can put your crush aside for long enough. Then assuming she bests whoever has to fight her she would face you which is likely worse for her than fighting me. You can keep your distance from her attacks while like me, she has to be in at least mid-range,"

Hizashi hated to admit his sister had a point. It meant Maiya really might like Hatomi in _that_ way. Hizashi shook his head and thought about it. Okay, so Maiya and Hatomi had hung out for the past two weeks in the shop with mom and Shun helping mom bring in customers. Maiya had been sleeping over a lot and eating dinner with them for a while but so had Shinobu. Hizashi didn't even know if a girl liked him never mind if another girl had a crush on his sister. This was complicated.

"Why didn't you ask mom or dad about it?" Hizashi questioned.

Hatomi shrugged. Okay, maybe not such a good suggestion since mom and dad had been worried about him for the past few hours. Dad had given Hatomi a look as if he wanted to talk to her though but dad wouldn't do it in front of the family. Dad tended to be private with his conversations so did Hatomi and Shi. Hyuuga trait he didn't get or something.

"So what are you going to do?" Hizashi asked.

"Win my match then consider," Hatomi said.

Hizashi frowned. Maiya lived all the way in Suna while Metal lived in the same Village. He didn't care if Hatomi wanted to be with a girl but why go through all the trouble of a long distance relationship?

The television clicked on and they both looked up to see the crowd cheering as Tomohiko and Boruto entered the arena. Both had used around the same amount of chakra to defeat their opponents but Boruto was an Uzumaki known for having more stamina than any normal shinobi.

Tomohiko had proven as slippery with his water clones. This might end up being an interesting match. Boruto formed his clones and Tomohiko made his clones. They all began to fight and Hizashi noticed puddles of water being left around the arena. This wasn't ever a good sign when a Mist shinobi was involved.

"Would you still feel the same about me if I wanted to be with a woman?"

Hatomi had not taken her stare from the match and Hizashi wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He grinned when she looked at him.

"Of course! You're still my sister," Hizashi said.

Hatomi smiled and they went back to the match. Boruto finished off the last water clone but the puddles reformed and Tomohiko, the real one, was nowhere to be found. Then again, neither was Boruto. The clones battled themselves out then Tomohiko launched an attack on what looked like a wall. Boruto fell out of the wall and the two began to spar, hard. Hizashi watched with a frown as Boruto began to get the upper edge simply because he had gone into Hyuuga type style which made Tomohiko _think_ his chakra was getting blocked off.

Boruto won five minutes later with a brutal kick to Tomohiko's stomach which made the Mist shinobi throw up. He was walked off by a medical shinobi, the field was cleared, and the next match announced.

Hizashi watched Maiya more intently than he normally would and noticed the other girl tended to look at a girl's chest when she fought, kind of like a guy would. Hizashi frowned and glanced to Hatomi. His sister had bitten her lip and kept nibbling at it, a curious look on her face. Half an hour went by before Maiya finally got the upper hand and defeated Chikaze of Suna.

"Well, time to go beat up my friend," Hizashi said.

He hadn't realized he'd kept his arm wrapped around Hatomi's shoulders until he stood. She sat straighter now and gave him a little nod. He left the room and let out a breath. Like life needed to start being complicated.

* * *

Hatomi watched as her brother appeared on the screen to the cheers of the crowd. Hizashi smiled and waved as he took his position near Genma. He had been right. She could tell him anything as they had shared growing space since their conception in mother's belly.

He would never tell her secrets to anyone and would try to help her as best as he could. Hatomi let the small smile stay on her face as she watched Inojin walk into the arena. Once this match was over she would face Sarada then go home for the rest of the day.

There she could consider her dilemma such as it was. Did she like Maiya as more than a friend? If so, did she like Metal as more than a friend as well and where exactly did this leave her? Certainly she could not want _both_ a male partner and a female partner to spend the rest of her life with? Could she?

Hatomi sighed. She would have to ask mother or father. Hizashi knew as much as she did but mother and father were well versed in the ways of the world. They knew everything there was to sex and more than what other people would think. They had to know how to help her with this confusion predicament.

Hatomi shook her head to pay attention to the match. Inojin flew through the air on an ink bird while Hizashi simply watched with a smirk on his face. Moments later the ink bird spattered apart when Hizashi tossed kunai at it. Inojin summoned out an ink bull but again, Hizashi's weapons took care of the beast before it could get too close.

He Vacuum Palmed the next one skewered the hoard of rats Inojin tried then started to run in for an attack. Inojin kept summoning animal after animal but Hizashi knocked them away with well placed weapons then fell into the Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms. The entire match had taken five minutes.

Hatomi stood and strode from the room. She waited by the double doors and smiled at Hizashi who walked through a moment later. He stopped beside her, her twin though seven inches taller and much bulkier and he beamed at her.

"I'd wish you good luck but, yeah," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

He walked off towards the stands to stay with father, mother, Shi, and Shun. Hatomi waited in front of the closed doors while the arena was cleaned. Sarada came to stand beside her after a few moments but she would not meet Hatomi's eyes. Hatomi let out a little breath.

"So you know, once we stride through these doors we are not friends. We will be when we come back out but I will not risk my promotion because of any loyalties I might feel towards anyone I fight," Hatomi said.

Sarada met her eyes. Hatomi said nothing for a moment as Sarada considered. Sarada frowned.

"What about if you fight Hizashi?" Sarada asked.

"It will be the same for him," Hatomi answered.

"Right. Well, okay. I'll fight my hardest as well,"

"Good. We will do Konoha kunoichi proud,"

Hatomi nodded to Sarada who grinned.

"Hyuuga Hatomi,"

Hatomi entered the arena to the wild cheers of the crowd. She noticed many of the men got to their feet and a few were waving around signs asking her to take her shirt off again. Hatomi ignored these signs and stopped once she reached the middle of the arena.

Everyone she knew and cared for was in the audience including Metal and Maiya. She wanted to laugh as they stood near each other, both with the same grins and lights in their eyes when they met hers. Hatomi smiled, knowing each would think the smile had been especially reserved for them.

"Uchiha Sarada,"

Hatomi started to turn her head towards the entrance of her friend but caught something odd in the crowd. She flicked her eyes back towards her family then found the familiar head of pink hair. Standing beside Sakura was Uchiha Sasuke with a smile on his face.

Hatomi shifted her eyes to Sarada in time to see her friend spot her mother and her father. Sarada's lips parted and tears welled in her eyes but she took a deep breath and stood straighter. Hatomi knew it would be serious now. Sarada would want to show off to her father. Hatomi smiled.

She met Sarada's eyes a moment later and Sarada nodded. Hatomi took a breath and closed her eyes. She centered her mind, focusing her next two light breaths on calming her pattering heart and relaxing her entire body. The Gentle Fist required fluidity, grace, elegance, and she would not let her father down.

"Begin,"

Hatomi saw the world in black, white, and gray before she opened her eyes and began moving. Sarada had activated her single tome Sharingan but the genjutsu Sarada may have learned was useless against Byakugan. Everyone might think Sharingan and Rinnegan were the superior eye techniques but Byakugan negated the genjutsu of both and held no negative effects for the user.

Sarada stepped back from Hatomi's initial strikes but at the moment Hatomi was feeling out Sarada. Sarada did the same but unlike the first few minutes of Sarada and Chocho's match the audience could see what Hatomi and Sarada were doing.

Hatomi noticed Sarada could predict her movements which made Sarada's blocking a bit impressive. Hatomi was not using her full speed though and knew Sarada was not as quick as her. Hatomi shifted her stance slightly and saw Sarada's eyes narrowed.

"Two strikes,"

Hatomi hit both her intended tenketsu and kept going. Sarada slammed a fist into Hatomi's stomach and Hatomi felt all the breath leave her lungs as she skidded backwards along the ground. She hit the arena floor on her butt and winced when her body jolted in pain. No small wonder Chocho had been defeated by one punch.

Sarada ran in.

Hatomi got to her feet and agony ripped across her stomach, back, and butt as she straightened. That would leave a bruise come morning. Hatomi made a note to avoid Sarada's hits.

Hatomi sunk into Revolving Heaven when Sarada was too close to back off. Sarada hit the chakra dome and went flying. Hatomi stopped the spin as Sarada hit the ground and ignited the Lion's Heads around her hands. Sarada had gotten to her feet as Hatomi closed in.

Sarada hardly dodged as Hatomi struck out. Hatomi saw some of Sarada's chakra network drain from the nick Hatomi had gotten in with her right Lion Head. Sarada obviously felt it as she winced but kept backing off. Hatomi kept running in until Sarada punched the ground and made the arena shake.

Hatomi did not get thrown off her balance easily and leaped over the crater Sarada stood in the middle of. Sarada looked up and backed off again as Hatomi came in. Her Lion Head created a smaller crater inside Sarada's bigger one and Hatomi watched Sarada move away. Hatomi let the chakra go out along her hands and waited.

Sarada blinked from her position a dozen yards away. Best to let Sarada think Hatomi had little charka left. Perhaps then Sarada would bring this back to a close range battle which Hatomi needed.

Sarada attacked.

Hatomi kept her face neutral and began stepping out of the range of purely physical blows. The backlash of the air alone made Hatomi's skin tingle unpleasantly and she frowned. Hatomi shifted her stance again and slammed a well timed Vacuum Palm into Sarada's stomach. She ran in as Sarada fell and launched into the air.

"Two strikes,"

She hit two different chakra points this time as she and Sarada headed towards the ground. Sarada gaped in pain as Hatomi went in for the four strikes. Eight strikes, sixteen then Sarada punched her in the chest. Hatomi had never thought her chest would _hurt_ so damned much. It felt as if Sarada had grabbed her left breast in one hand and twisted.

Hatomi landed gracelessly and held her chest as Sarada rolled and came up on her feet. Sarada ran in again and Hatomi looked up at her through the haze of pain. Hatomi launched upwards from the crouch when Sarada got close enough and at the same time activated her Lion Head in her right hand.

The haze of blue chakra slammed into Sarada's middle and Hatomi saw Sarada's chakra network virtually disappear. Sarada fell over as if she had been on strings which were cut and Hatomi got to her feet. She took two wide steps back and lowered her hand from her aching breast as Sarada lay trembling on the ground, attempting to get up.

Hatomi got into a fighting stance but Sarada went back to the ground. Even her Sharingan had deactivated and Hatomi frowned. She had not meant to hurt Sarada so horribly. Genma called the match and Hatomi went to Sarada, helping her to stand and bringing her towards the double doors where the med-nin were running in.

"Jeez, I should've trained a lot harder," Sarada said.

"Hn,"

"Seriously, you're on a completely different level,"

Hatomi said nothing to this but allowed the med-nin to take Sarada from her. The crowd was cheering and Hatomi looked around. She met Uchiha Sasuke's uncovered dark eye and caught the frown on the man's face. Sakura-sama looked solemn, disappointed almost and Hatomi kept the frown off her face.

Sarada had not been as bad as Sarada and everyone else seemed to think. Hatomi wanted to go sit in a corner and cry out her pain and she felt exhausted from avoiding Sarada's heavy as Heaven punches. Hatomi stood because of sheer determination.

She strode out through the big double doors and let out a breath. She let the pain hit her a moment later and Hatomi stumbled until she was able to kneel in front of the wall and take several deep breaths.

She would fight Hizashi in a week.

Her twin. Her flesh and blood like no other could be. Womb mate, brother, best friend, the person who knew _every_ technique she had had, and the person who knew her every weakness, every tell and now she would have one week to stun him.

Kami, what had she gotten into?

Hatomi made it to her feet and gasped at the agony ripping through her middle. She leaned an arm against the wall then put her head against that, letting her gaze meet the floor as she held her stomach in the other arm.

The agony came from under her left ribcage and jolted into her left shoulder. Hatomi activated her Byakugan, switched into an x-ray vision field then studied her internal organs. Her spleen had been ruptured. No small wonder it hurt to stand properly.

"Hatomi,"

Hatomi saw her family coming towards her but did not move. She did spot father activate his Byakugan and his eyebrows rise in fret. Moments later he had her in his arms and ran towards the medical rooms in the bowls of the building. Sarada had gotten an excellent hit in. Sarada was an amazing kunoichi and they had represented Konoha well.

* * *

Hatomi had begun to realize why father hated hospitals. They smelled too clean, were too white which hurt her eyes, and there were too many pained noises. Thankfully Shizune-sama had looked her over, fixed her ruptured spleen and she would be ready to fight in a week. Shizune-sama had told father and mother not to allow Hizashi _or_ Hatomi to train too hard or it may hurt them more than help them.

Hatomi shifted on the uncomfortable single bed of the hospital and sighed. The sheets were scratchy, the bed lumpy, and she had nothing to do but lay there as her body finished healing. Since she was no longer in critical condition, family visiting hours were over so Hatomi was alone in the room.

Worse she had been told to take her hair down and change into the hospital shirt and pants, neither of which fitted properly as the shirt was too small and the pants too large. At least Shizune-sama had applied some healing jutsu to Hatomi's left breast so it did not pain her so much.

Hatomi sat up in bed and huffed at the clock. Nine in the evening, technically late enough to go to sleep but for a decade Hatomi had read before bed for at least ten minutes or had father read to her when she was younger. Her brain would not calm down unless she read something while lying in a bed even if said bed was not exactly comfortable.

Something clicked and Hatomi turned to see Hizashi climbing into her window. Hatomi had to put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing when Hizashi offered her a wink before settling fully onto the floor. He shifted until he sat on the floor beside her bed with the bed between him and the door. No one would see him when they entered.

"Hey," Hizashi said softly.

"Hello," Hatomi said.

He unravelled a small scroll and Hatomi grinned when the books from on her nightstand were revealed. He offered them up to her one by one and she placed the books onto the hospital issue nightstand. He wrapped up his scroll but didn't move.

"So,"

"Hn?"

"We're fighting next week,"

"We had thought we were fighting on our birthday,"

"True. Still. This will be in front of like 20,000 people live, most of them Hyuuga former Main Branch plus all the people tuning in from places showing it. Today estimated almost a million viewers,"

Hatomi watched Hizashi run a hand through his hair as he sighed. Hatomi would have never expected her outgoing brother to have stage fright. She found it somewhat funny.

"Best not to think of the people watching or you may get a Lion Fist in the stomach,"

Hizashi laughed at her in a low voice and she smiled at him. A nurse walked past the half open door but did not step in to see what went on. Hatomi reached out and pulled the curtain so it concealed her bed. This prompted Hizashi to get off the floor and sit beside her, cross legged.

"Good one. I'm guessing you're going to talk to dad when you're er, alone,"

Hatomi nodded. She still did not know how she felt but the past hour of being entirely alone had helped.

"I will talk to father," Hatomi said.

"And?"

Hatomi shrugged. She would wait until she spoke with father. He could help her define her feelings towards Metal and Maiya. Once she had an idea of where to go with her feelings she could get moving. She heard Hizashi sigh and glanced to him.

"Just, if you do figure out you like Maiya more, I mean, Metal,"

Hatomi sighed. She knew what Hizashi meant. Metal was their best friend, teammate, and cousin. Their parents considered themselves siblings. Lee-sensei, Metal, and Yusa-sama came to dinner at least once a week or she, Hizashi, Shi, Shun, mother and father went there. Hatomi would have to tread carefully if she decided on Maiya and not Metal.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while then Hizashi snuck back out the way he had come. Hatomi plucked a book off her nightstand but did not even get it open once she lied down in her bed before her eyes closed.

* * *

"Good to see Hizashi made it last night,"

Hatomi looked up from her book to see father entering her room. Hatomi bent down the corner of the page she was on as she sat up a bit straighter in bed and smiled. Father carried a bag with him, likely her brush and other such supplies and he was alone. He even went so far as to push the door closed a little more.

Perhaps Hizashi had said something at breakfast this morning, at least discretely. Hatomi shifted when father motioned her to and she kept from giggling when he got in behind her and began brushing her hair.

He had not done this since she was six. Hatomi found she missed it and wondered why she had allowed herself to no longer need her father's help in a simple task. They did not speak but they did not need to. Father hummed under his breath as he worked, gently pulling out tangles, and running his fingers through her hair.

"Hizashi spoke to me before breakfast this morning. He said there is something you wish to speak with me privately about," father said.

"Yes, I, how did you know mother was the one you wished to be with forever?"

It would be best not to hide her true path. Father's hands stopped and he hummed. He began brushing again after a moment but she did not turn her head to gauge the expression on his face. He finished brushing and began to braid a single plait into her hair.

"I did not, not right away," father said.

Hatomi hummed. He let out a breath which rushed over the top of her head.

"We were good friends for perhaps two years before I even considered her being something more. One week she had become sick and could not come to train. I missed her but not in the way a friend would miss another friend. I was lost, yes, lost. I could not keep my thoughts straight and wanted to see her to make sure she was still alive.

"I did not know what this meant either and assumed it came from being good friends, this constant need to be near her, to see her smile, and hear her laugh. But when Lee became sick I did not react the same. Of course Lee was and still is my friend but I did not lose my way nor did I think of him every hour.

"Then she was almost killed on a mission. My heart clenched so hard I felt as if I was dying and I took the hit for her. I realized then I could not live any semblance of a happy life if she died. Love is about feeling complete. Your mother is my best friend, my teammate, my sparring partner, my partner, my wife, my lover, and my world."

Hatomi wiped a tear from her eye and bit her tongue to keep from crying. It had been so sweet, romantic and completely unlike the man father projected to the outside world. Hatomi saw the love between her parents every day in their light touches, the way their eyes met, and the smiles they shared with each other.

"Is this about Metal?"

"No, not entirely,"

"Hn?"

"Maiya kissed me,"

She felt father stiffen. She turned and he allowed the braid he had finished to slip through his hands. His eyes had become wide and his lips had parted. His hands were limp in his lap and if he had not been sitting Hatomi was sure he would have fallen over in shock.

"When?"

"During Chocho and Sarada's match,"

"Hn,"

Father shook his head as Hatomi played with the end of her braid. He tilted his head to a side and looked at her, considering. Hatomi wondered what he saw.

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes,"

"And you are attracted to her?"

"Potentially,"

"And Metal?"

"Yes but I am unsure if I like him because I am supposed to or—"

"There is no supposed to when it comes to who you love. If you end up loving Maiya or any other female than I will be as proud of you if you loved Metal or any other male. You are my daughter, Hatomi, my Princess. I could never stop loving you,"

His form blurred as tears of joy came to her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him and father chuckled as she hugged him tight. He returned the hug as tightly and she closed her eyes, nudging her head into the crook of his shoulder and neck.

He smelled of forest, a bit of sweat, and father. She may be confused about her attraction but she did not care. Father would love her no matter what choice she made. This was the important concept and Hatomi would never forget father's words.

* * *

D'aww. Which way am I leaning with Hatomi? Don't know. I like the thought of Neji's daughter dating Lee's son but I also kind of like the thought of Hatomi liking girls since guys are so naturally attracted to her. As for Hizashi? Yeah, so far as I know he's still into Sarada and she's into him. I'll (hopefully) explore that a bit more in coming chapters.

As always: reviews welcome.


	34. Finals

**Finals**

 **Author's notes:** So, I'm hoping Hizashi and Hatomi don't come off as too Mary Sue. We've seen them both struggle during the exams and they do have flaws. Hatomi hates her body and is confused about her attraction. I also consider her boobs a sort of physical flaw cuz big boobs hurt, man. She's also really too serious for her age, like Neji was way back when which does make her come across as arrogant or a bitch. Flaw? Yep. Hizashi's color blind and he gets emotional in battle which we'll see more this chapter. Just lemme know if they're too Mary Sue/Gary Sue-ish, kay?

Anyway, still don't know where I'm going with this except I will take them to chunin and probably make Neji and Tenten grandparents with some time skipping just cuz I can.

Also in reference to the last scene from the last chapter: Neji's parenting for the win. *grins*

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs and bondage sex. If this bugs you, then turn back now...though I'm not really sure how you made it this far.

Also: This is going to be a HUGE chapter. Deal with it. *winks*

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

The clouds were especially thick today which mean he could see them well against the pale gray sky. The medium gray grass made a comfortable bed under his back and he appreciated the cool breeze. The wind brought with it the smell of fresh flowers and the smell of food from the main market of Konoha near them.

He could hear reams of people buying souvenirs from various shops, talking about last week's matches and placing bets about who would win between him and Hatomi. No one knew who to favor as he had beaten all his opponents with different methods and a combination of Hyuuga and his mom's techniques while Hatomi proved to be able to take a hit and was a brilliant strategist.

The consensus was her moves were more consistent and predictable but powerful and graceful. He was a wild card, still strong but in an entirely different way. Since they were twins and on the same team, everyone knew they trained together so would know each other's weaknesses and tells. So far, no one knew who to bet on but bets would be closed at midnight tonight.

Tomorrow Boruto and Maiya would fight first at 10AM.

"Nervous?" Shikadai asked from beside him.

They were on a hill in one of the parks in the market district. Sure they could hear everything around them but all the other clouding watching spots were full of tourists having picnics. The training fields were full of Konoha and non-Konoha shinobi training. This park with its little grassy knoll was the only spot left to lie out and watch the clouds.

"Not really since I've fought Hatomi before," Hizashi said.

"She is your sister though," Inojin said.

Hizashi shrugged. He was more concerned about her feelings, not fighting her. All this week she had wandered about the house either reading out back or doing some light training with dad. She hid out in her room sometimes mulling over her thoughts towards Metal or Maiya. Hizashi couldn't take it so he spent his time katana fighting with Shinobu.

Today the Mist shinobi was hanging out with his friends. Konoha was well represented in the chunin exams while Suna had pulled through with one. Suna probably put a lot of pressure on Maiya but Hizashi wouldn't know. She hadn't been around much and when she was, Hatomi went to the door then stood outside with her for all of five minutes before coming in alone. Obviously Hatomi wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

Maiya had gotten the hint after the second time. Metal, not so much. He tried daily to see Hatomi, sometimes a few times in a day until dad had Vacuum Palmed him off the front stoop yesterday. Hizashi didn't pity his sister.

"She's nervous then since she's been inside," Inojin said.

"No, we just prepare different," Hizashi said.

"She's introverted and gains energy from being alone while you're extroverted and gain energy from people," Shikadai muttered.

Hizashi grinned but nodded. Inojin chuckled as he continued his sketch. Hizashi had no idea what his friend was sketching but all Inojin used was a set of pencils. Inojin still gave him a sketch weekly and Hizashi didn't mind, not really. They decorated his walls in a haphazard pattern which gave his room a personal touch.

Even so, he hated being reminded he couldn't see color on the off chance he activated Byakugan in his room and saw the sketches. Hizashi didn't want to tell Inojin to stop though. Hizashi's confidence or whatever could take a hit every now and again when he had bad days. Plus it helped Inojin practice.

"So do you have a plan on beating her?" Inojin questioned.

"Yeah, stay away from her and take her out from long range," Hizashi said.

He saw both Inojin and Shikadai look at him with raised eyebrows and frowns.

"That's it?" Shikadai asked.

Hizashi rolled his eyes.

"Well, when Genma calls out begin I'm going to hit her with a Vacuum Palm straight off then take off backwards and toss out exploding senbon while I'm going. If she gets past both of those then I'm going to keep going backwards and throwing dummy bombs and real bombs to keep her back. I'll fill the floor with dummy bombs so if she does get to close at any point then I can force her back. You want me to go on or no?"

Shikadai scoffed but smiled as he shook his head. Inojin grinned and went back to his sketch.

"Okay, okay, sorry," Shikadai said sardonically.

"What if she avoids the Vacuum Palm?" Inojin enquired.

"She won't know it's coming since I don't normally use it. If she happens to avoid it then I'll spar close range till I can back her off," Hizashi said.

Inojin nodded, satisfied now. Hizashi watched the clouds pass overhead and let his thoughts wander. Sarada came to the forefront and Hizashi smiled softly when he thought of her fight. Kami she had been awesome though few people saw it. Hatomi knew how to hide her pain so no one knew how badly Sarada had beaten Hatomi.

Hell, if Sarada had managed to get one more hit in then she would've won. Hatomi had been hard-pressed in that match but only those who knew Hatomi personally saw it that way. Not even Sakura-sama and Sasuke had seen how well Sarada had done which had made her pretty upset. Hizashi had been turned away at the door when he went to visit.

The sun started to go down so the three got up. Hizashi stretched out his back as Shikadai wandered off with a backwards wave. He lived in the opposite direction as Hizashi from this park while Inojin lived in an entirely different direction. The park sucked as a meeting place but nothing could be done while the Village was so full.

"Here," Inojin said and offered the paper he tore from his sketchbook.

Hizashi took it and stared. It was a sketch of _him_ done in perfect rendition, eyes relaxed, a small smile on his face, long hair sprawled out beneath his head and arms like a sort of pillow, and oddly, he was topless but the image ended at his collar bones.

"Um, thanks. Now I have a picture of myself?"

He hadn't meant to end with a question but he didn't know what to say. Inojin had never sketched him before. He did meet Inojin's eyes and the artist laughed.

"Sorry, sorry, it doesn't mean anything it's just I was tired of drawing abstracts and scenes. Besides, dad says I need to work on portraits," Inojin said.

"Oh, okay. So you're not, um, into me like that?"

"Gah, no! I'd like to motorboat your sister—"

"Watch it,"

"Sorry,"

Inojin rubbed the back of his head as Hizashi held back a laugh. He wouldn't tell Inojin the artist might not even stand a chance since Hatomi might lean towards girls. That entire situation was why Hatomi had been avoiding everyone.

"It's okay. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow," Hizashi said.

"Yeah, see you and good luck,"

"Thanks,"

They left at the same time. Hizashi didn't think he needed luck, not in this.

* * *

Boruto had beaten Maiya. Hizashi had watched from his private little waiting room with a frown on his face. Yeah, he'd wanted Boruto to lose but now it meant either he or Hatomi had a chance to beat Boruto in the next round next week. He'd also kind of wanted to see Boruto lose so he or Hatomi could face Maiya. Well, couldn't change it now.

At least it had been an awesome match. Both had gone all out: Boruto with his clones and rasengan while Maiya used her chakra blades and even some pure taijustu as well as some sand techniques she hadn't before. They'd beaten the crap out of each other but it'd been a great match.

Hizashi took a deep breath and let it out slowly as Hatomi approached. As typical she wore knee length tights, ankle high shinobi sandals, and a shirt that went to her mid-thighs. This shirt had no sleeves but a high collar which buttoned up to a little under her chin to under her boobs. An obi wrapped around her waist and her knee length hair had been put into a duel braid style at the back of her head.

He wore cargo shorts that ended at his knees and a shirt like dad's as well as his scroll belt. Typical shinobi issue sandals graced his feet, he had another two dozen scrolls in his pockets, and he had tied his hair back into a pony tail like dad's normal style.

Hatomi's hitai-ate was around her neck, kind of hanging a bit to grace her collarbones while his was tied around his right bicep. Their eyes met and Hizashi saw how determined she was. He nodded and she smiled. They wouldn't be siblings once they entered the arena.

"Hyuuga Hizashi,"

Hizashi took another breath then stepped through the doors. The crowd went insane and he waved to them before taking his place near Genma.

"And his twin sister: Hyuuga Hatomi,"

Gasps from the audience this time. Hizashi felt like rolling his eyes. They had the same gold eyes and Hyuuga eyes normally came in white. People were stupid for thinking he and Hatomi weren't twins. Stupid people in thinking they came from different Hyuuga parents. Hizashi watched as Hatomi took her place.

He ignored the dryness in his throat as she closed her eyes and closed his. He disregarded the sick feeling in his stomach and the way his hands wanted to clench. His heart pattered a little quick in his chest and he felt sweat gathering on his brow. Why the Hell was he nervous?

"Begin,"

"Vacuum Palm,"

The blast of chakra did catch Hatomi by surprise and Hizashi saw she wore a white shirt with her black tights. Her obi was gold and Hizashi realized she had deliberately worn Hyuuga colors like he had worn a Hyuuga-style shirt.

Even though the blast of chakra shocked her, Hatomi had quick reaction times coupled with flexibility and agility. She did the splits and leaned forward so quick the Vacuum Palm he'd aimed at her chest swished over her lowered back, missing her completely.

Still, he kept to his plan and backed the Hell up as much as he could. She wasn't letting him off that easy and got up to run towards him. He summoned out his senbon, hating she was closer than he wanted but made them explode anyway.

The blast hadn't been meant to blind her since she could see through anything like him. It'd been meant to throw her back. But she'd been too close and he hadn't let off enough senbon to make her back off. All she did was dodge his throws and keep coming as he kept backing up. Now he just looked stupid.

Plan B then. He went into taijustu, more specifically Gentle Fist as she got closer. Her hits came in rapidly but he managed to block them and adjust his body enough so she didn't block off any tenketsu. Even so, he couldn't get a solid hit in against her. This is why he hadn't wanted to fight her with close range.

She was the better close range fighter, all dad in a sense while Hizashi ruled the long and mid-range. But she'd messed up his assault. He'd get an opening soon. All he had to do was wait for it and not get any tenketsu cut off.

They sparred across the arena floor, blocking, hitting, trying to get the upper hand but they were well, not really even. Hatomi was kicking his ass. Even her misses were affecting him as she had started to send out bigger bursts of chakra to compensate for him _just_ shifting out of the way. Yeah, she wasn't hitting his tenketsu straight on but now he got bruises an inch and a half wide on his arms so she _did_ block his tenketsu.

All ready he was losing feeling in his arms. He still had some points to play with but if this close contact fighting went on much longer he'd lose the ability to manipulate chakra. Hizashi let her get a hit on his left arm so he could bring out his Bo. This was better.

She couldn't directly hit his arms but now he couldn't do a Palm Bottom or Vacuum Palm to back her off. Totally _not_ what he had wanted in this fight. He was starting to get a little tired too from the constant speed of their attacks and hey, he was bored using the same techniques over and over.

Well, he'd have to whack her with his Bo and hard. The best way to do it would be to get his Bo straight across her stomach and shove her up and back. Her spleen was healed but that area was probably tender so if he went for that then he'd be good for a few seconds at least. It'd be enough to gain some distance.

Hizashi blocked her hands then went in for a strike. Hatomi's right hand moved and Hizashi saw a flicker of apology in her eyes. Her hand hit his Bo and the weapon shattered in the middle. Hizashi closed his eyes as the wood exploded and scowled.

Kami damn it! He didn't have a back up Bo since _this_ was his backup Bo. The other one had busted in his fight with Mitsuki and he hadn't been able to replace it as mom's shop was too busy.

Hatomi _knew_ it too which is probably why she'd gone for breaking it instead of getting it away from him. Worse, she'd put more chakra into her hit than Hanabi-sama had so out of his three and a half yard length he had _maybe_ a yard left in either hand.

Didn't help some bigger slivers had sliced into his bare arms and through his clothes. Some had hit Hatomi as well, one right across her left cheek and he felt kind of bad about that. At least Hatomi wasn't as vain as most girls.

She kept coming in so he smacked her arms aside with his short staffs. She made these explode too and he decided he should get a metal Bo. At least it wouldn't be destroyed so often and besides the extra weight would land stronger hits.

Hizashi put his head back into the match when a Lion's Fist came towards his face. He ducked and kicked Hatomi in the stomach, making her skid back four yards then tossed some bombs towards her. She avoided the bombs while _kicking aside_ the ones she didn't avoid and Hizashi knew she knew some of his bombs were dummies to use later.

Damn it. She did know him too well. Well, he'd have to surprise her then.

"Ocean!"

Hatomi's eyes went huge when he summoned an ocean. He'd sealed it last summer and hated letting it out cuz it'd be a bitch to replace. But hey, it had the effect he'd wanted. There was no avoiding a twenty yard wave coming straight at you.

Hizashi grinned when she tried Revolving Heaven. The wave crashed into the chakra dome then separated around it for a few moments. Then it became too much and Hatomi went with the wave as it headed towards the far wall. Hizashi leaped backwards as he dropped his ocean scroll and picked out his Twin Rising Dragons scrolls, the C-set.

Okay, so maybe he and mom had always been a bit weapons crazy and thus she had helped him form six different sets of Twin Rising Dragons scrolls. She had fifteen so he wasn't really concerned. Hell, there was a box in mom and dad's walk in closet dedicated to mom's weapon scrolls. It looked like an upright and less fancy casket.

"Twin Rising Dragons,"

His C-set, like moms, was all about dealing with a Hyuuga: shuriken, senbon, darts, and axes. All were made slender or thin but super sharp and with enough of them even a Hyuuga might miss a tiny sliver of light coming at them.

Hatomi was getting to her feet as he leaped into the air. Her white shirt had gotten _soaked_ , going almost completely see through and she did not look impressed with him as she stood on the foot of standing water from his ocean. The guys in the audience were cheering. He unleashed his scrolls and started his technique.

Unlike mom, he could see every target he aimed at even if he spun. It was the joy of being a Hyuuga and really, learning Revolving Heaven had helped _loads_. Hizashi aimed his paper thin but deadly weapons at his sister. She couldn't spin on the water but Hizashi saw her drop. No freaking way. She couldn't...

She could and did. Hatomi started a Revolving Heaven even though the water came almost to her knees. The dome of chakra exploded outwards, displacing the water around her then spinning it in a whirlpool around the chakra dome. Great, now he had to aim around the spinning sections of water and into a rare weak point in Hatomi's Revolving Heaven.

This wasn't going to work but he wouldn't give up until he ran out of weapons in his C-set scrolls. It didn't take long considering he could spin faster than mom while flinging out his weapons. Hizashi landed in the water, letting his C-set scrolls fall because they were too damned long to try to save from his water. Hatomi burst out of her Revolving Heaven, heading towards him but he activated the dummy bombs.

Explosions went off through the area, some really close to Hatomi while one or two went off behind him. He got splashed but didn't care. Hatomi had to dodge as the water exploded around her. She didn't get hit by anything major, just more water which made her wetter than she was.

Okay. Time for a new tactic. But what? His C-set Twin Rising Dragons didn't work. His Ocean hadn't helped much. She'd busted his Bo and she was better than him at Hyuuga Technique. Hizashi grinned.

He let Hatomi come in and she began to strike out. He kicked her. Hard. In the chin.

She flew back with wide eyes and raised eyebrows as the kick had come straight from Lee-sensei's repertoire. Hatomi hit the water hard and sunk a bit but was up and attacking a few seconds later. Hizashi sunk into the strong fist style of Lee-sensei, Guy-sama, and Metal.

Sure, Hatomi hit him but she couldn't get a good enough hit to disable his tenketsu. Besides the ones in his arms were all ready pretty much gone if he wanted the finite control of Hyuuga technique. He could still use the Vacuum Palm, Palm Bottom, or Revolving Heaven as well as mom's attacks.

But right now, he was good. The mixed kicking and punching style was actually pushing Hatomi back. Hizashi went in to deliver a punch to her gut but she kicked him in the knee. Instantly all the chakra points in his right leg from knee down went out. His right foot went right through the foot of water and he missed his target by a half yard while she followed up with a palm to his left shoulder.

Now he had no chakra in his left arm from his shoulder down which mean no Hyuuga moves except the one-handed Vacuum Palm or Palm Bottom. Didn't matter, really, he couldn't feel his right leg besides the burning pain in his right knee so had no idea what his right foot was doing. It meant he couldn't stand on his water so he was fighting almost eye to eye with Hatomi which was plain weird.

The look of apology came into her eyes again and Hizashi felt a tap at his right eye. Instantly his Byakugan _weakened_ and he tried to step back. He stepped back but with his right leg. His right knee collapsed and she lashed out before he could get his hands up to stop her. Five quick hits and all the tenketsu around his eyes was out while all he managed to do was ram a fist into her gut.

The hit had caused her to cough up blood and fly upwards before landing in the water five yards away. Color faded from his vision then went out completely. He couldn't see behind him or to either side, up or down, unless he turned his head. Hizashi went to his knees and rubbed his head.

Crap. He couldn't even re-activate his tenketsu because he couldn't _see_ them or manipulate his chakra with enough delicacy to get the right amount into each point. If he forced too much through to re-activate he could overload them and take them out permanently. That meant he'd never be able to use Byakugan again.

Worse yet, he'd lost most of his mid-tones. All he could see was black and white with one shade of gray. It meant all the water, the walls, the ceiling: all looked _the same_. Everyone in the audience looked the same as everyone else and he could not make out the expressions on people's faces. The reason he could see Hatomi getting up was because she wore white and black. He knew she had an obi on but it had blended in with her white shirt making it look like there was nothing there.

He was screwed but he wasn't about to give up. He'd memorized Hatomi's chakra paths so he knew exactly where all her tenketsu were. All he had to do was get up before, oh, she was running in at him. Hizashi flexed his right leg but it refused to listen. Okay, he could aim from the ground.

He tossed his senbon needles but couldn't see them fly. He wasn't even sure if he had actually hit her. She was still coming in which meant he either missed (impossible) or she ignored the pain. He couldn't dodge so unleashed his katana. He swung it out and she had to move out of the way.

The problem was he couldn't move his right leg at all and his left arm was slow. Hatomi shifted to hit his back and Hizashi flipped enough so he could try to kick her but he didn't hit her. Whites were blending into the gray around him and some of the grays had gone completely black.

He was losing his sight. The more he redirected his chakra to his katana, the less chakra he could keep in his eyes to _see_. He needed more in his ocular chakra network since the tenketsu around his eyes were blocked. So not good.

Hizashi kept flinging his sword but pulling back on the chakra wasn't helping as much as he thought. The whites were medium gray now and Hatomi's legs were becoming a bigger and bigger black mass. It wouldn't take long for him to be completely blind until someone could re-open the tenketsu in his eyes.

Hizashi gave a last effort and tossed a bomb at Hatomi. She kicked it away where it exploded somewhere to their right. He didn't see where exactly but he focused his chakra into his left leg at the same time he made half a tiger seal with his left hand.

"Boom,"

Hizashi forced his left leg to shoot him upwards the same time his bomb exploded. This one was a special bomb. It released a burst of oil good to cover a ten yard radius then the middle went off after a two second pause which ignited the oil. Since oil and water didn't mix, well, it would be interesting.

Hizashi hit the big dark gray blur and used what remained of his chakra in his left foot and right fist to cling to the wall as fire burst over the water. He didn't know where he was in relation to the flames but he heard everyone gasp. He didn't smell burning skin or hair so knew Hatomi wasn't hurt too horribly.

He would've engulfed about a quarter of the arena floor in flames. The last bit of dark gray left his vision and Hizashi blinked. Now he couldn't see at all. Okay. He'd use his other senses to fight. It couldn't be too hard since he used his other senses to live normally since he couldn't see color anyway.

Hizashi took a deep breath and let it out through his mouth. He could taste the burning oil and the soot in the air. The smell of burnt stone was close but not hair or skin. He could hear the crackling flames which meant he was still pretty close to the fire. He didn't feel overly hot at the bottoms of his feet though so he was safe.

The wall under him was rough but it didn't help. He concentrated on hearing. There was no whistle of wind to indicate Hatomi came towards him and he didn't hear any dripping sounds near him which would come because her hair would be long enough to drip into the water below if she wanted to avoid the flames.

Pain erupted over his back and Hizashi knew this agony. Senbon. Hatomi had throw senbon at him and stuck him with them from what felt like a distance of twenty yards. She was out of the fire then and using the fact he couldn't see against him which made sense.

He heard more air whooshing and tried to shift. The senbon hit the wall but he skidded down it and almost lost his grip. Now he could feel the heat at his feet. Ten yards, the senbon had come from ten yards which mean she was on the move.

Whistling of metal through air and he let his body skid downwards enough so the senbon pierced a place above his head. She was five yards back and below him judging from the impact sound of the senbon on the wall.

She wouldn't speak but she did leap. He heard the wind displacement. Hizashi waited until he heard the crackle of her chakra behind him then let go of the wall, turning at the same time.

"Vacuum Palm!"

He couldn't tell if it worked because he had to catch himself. He did feel the burst of chakra hit Hatomi and hoped he hadn't flung her too far into the flames. He felt extreme heat at his feet and bit his lip. He couldn't dodge anymore.

"Stop,"

Hizashi couldn't recognize the voice with one word but it had come from the right. If he wasn't completely disoriented then it had come from the Kage balcony. Hizashi clung to his wall until he heard someone climbing down towards him.

"Hizashi,"

Mom. Hizashi smiled and felt her arm go around him. She guided him back up then over the railing where someone picked him up. Strawberry smell, thinner arms, short hair, chakra which would be green in color: Sakura-sama.

"Once Neji gets Hatomi back up here I'll need him to open the tenketsu around Hizashi's eyes," Sakura-sama said.

"Sure," mom told her.

"How bad is Hatomi hurt?" Hizashi ventured.

"She did a Revolving Heaven over the flames then jumped out of them. I think she burned the tips of her hair but that's it," mom said.

Aw. He had kind of been hoping his last attack hadn't been entirely in vain.

"Winner: Hyuuga Hatomi,"

Great. He'd lost, destroyed his Twin Rising Dragon's C-set scrolls, messed up his ocean scroll, lost a bunch of weapons, had to replace his Bo again, and lost a bunch of bombs. The loss of weapons wouldn't have hurt so much if he'd won. He would've had a week to recover from all this if he'd won.

"Why?" Hizashi asked.

"She blinded you," mom said.

Oh. That made sense but he fought without his vision and had done damage. Hizashi decided not to ask when he felt them leave the arena and go down a set of stairs. He heard coughing, Hatomi, and frowned.

"Her spleen again," dad said.

Hizashi felt his heart drop. He'd ruptured Hatomi's spleen, _again._ He heard Sakura-sama huff and yelped when she tossed him. Someone caught him: smell of forest, strong arms, taller which meant it was dad.

"I'll fix her spleen first but I'm sure you can deal with the closed chakra paths," Sakura-sama said.

"Hn,"

Dad's agreement sound but there was worry under it. Hizashi wished he could run away because he hadn't really meant to hurt Hatomi, not like that. He was placed on something flat and Hizashi felt chakra along his face. The deep grays came back first then medium grays and finally light grays and white.

Blurs became details and Hizashi saw his dad standing above him, Byakugan eyes activated and watching Hizashi's chakra network. Dad smiled softly before hitting a chakra point which sent pins and needles down his left arm. Another chakra point and he could fell his right arm again. He winced when he felt his right leg.

"Hatomi popped your patella out of place," dad said.

No wonder he couldn't stand on his right leg. Hatomi had almost broken his leg. Okay, maybe he didn't feel so bad about bursting her spleen.

"Oh," Hizashi said.

"You did well," dad told him.

"She still beat me and is moving onto the finals,"

"Hn, but she was wise in taking out the predominate parts of your fighting styles,"

Hizashi opened his mouth then closed it. Dad was right. Hatomi had forced him into closed corridors then taken out some tenketsu points and broken his Bo. She'd forced him to bury his dummy bombs. Then she'd forced him into taijustu he wasn't fully familiar with and taken out his base. She'd finished off by taking out his eyes.

Now he was back to feeling like crap. Hatomi had controlled the entire battle right from the start and he hadn't seen it.

"Not a good pep-talk dad,"

"Hn, it was not meant to be. What advantage do you have over your sister?"

Hizashi stared up at dad who raised an eyebrow at him.

"I can attack long range and she can't,"

Dad shook his head. Hizashi blinked. The Hell did dad mean then?

"Range can be manipulated as you have learned the hard way. Your height, your weight, and your physical strength cannot,"

"So you're saying literally beat the crap out of her?"

"No. I am saying to remember you have a longer reach and instead of simply tapping her when you do a Gentle Fist attack, you can morph it into a physical blow which will do damage to her body as well as her chakra network. No other Hyuuga is as powerful physically as you will end up being. Use that,"

Hizashi opened his mouth then closed it. Dad was right. The Hyuuga men were as strong physically as an average civilian male because they didn't need the pure power from big muscles. Mom's dad had been a big man and used chakra enhanced strength in combination with ridiculously big weapons to fight. Hizashi _could_ have the delicate power of the Hyuuga _and_ the raw power from mom's line.

"Huh," Hizashi murmured.

Dad chuckled and pushed back some of Hizashi's hair. Hizashi grinned. Okay. He had to take being a Hyuuga and mom's kid to heart and be that mix fully. No more slacking on physical training. He'd be a beast like grandpa on mom's side.

* * *

Tenten watched her kids train like she did every morning except this morning was way different than normal. Hizashi worked on his physical strength, doing squats, crunches, push-ups, lunges and other exercises he had done sure, but not with weights he used now. He had gained some muscle training with Lee but now it looked like Hizashi wanted to bulk up.

Tenten had vague memories of her parents which became stronger when she looked in the photo album she had managed to keep all these years. Her dad had been an immense man: over six and a half feet tall and so broad in the shoulders he would skim normal sized doors. His arms and legs had been thick, the size of tree trunks and she had inherited her tanned skin and brown eyes from him.

Her mother had been petite, about five feet four and slender, Tenten's body shape. Tenten had also gotten mom's brown hair as dad's had been black. Mom used to have blue eyes. They had been so close to getting a tanned blue eyed, black haired baby, but it didn't happen. It might have if they had gotten a chance to try again.

They'd died on a mission together when she had been three. Konoha had taken her in, the family home had been sold but whatever the cleaning people had been able to fit into a storage unit, she had gotten to keep. Thankfully most of it was weapons, scrolls, and books. There had been a photo album but she didn't know if there had been other pictures.

At the time they had simply needed the intact home for another family since after the nine tails attack, there was still a lot being rebuilt. If not for the attack, the family home might have been given to her and a nanny or something. But no, one little girl living in a house with a stranger was a waste when entire families needed homes but not another mouth to feed.

Tenten shook her head from her more morbid thoughts and watched as Hizashi continued to do push-ups with a grinning Shun sitting on his back. Hizashi hadn't gained much muscle, maybe a pound but if he kept going like he was he would easily gain at least fifteen or more by the end of the year.

Hatomi didn't train with Neji today, Shi did. No, Hatomi sat near the edge of the fence at the back of their property talking with Maiya. Tenten noticed how close the two girls sat, closer than friends who were both girls, and closer than Hatomi sat with either Chocho or Sarada or _anyone_ for that matter except maybe Neji.

The two had their heads leaning near each other like they were whispering secrets and Tenten didn't like it. Neji had told her about what had happened between Maiya and Hatomi during the chunin exams. Tenten didn't care if Hatomi ended up liking girls but she still didn't like the thought of her daughter starting to seriously date in general.

She might've teased Neji when Metal started wooing Hatomi but she shared his opinion. Hatomi and Hizashi should wait a little longer before getting into any kind of serious relationship. Tenten sighed and watched Neji fighting Shi.

Shi had shown the most improvement over the past few weeks. Seeing Shun get sealed had scared them all and Shi did not want to be a Caged Bird like his father or twin so he sparred with Neji as hard as he could, trying to learn every technique he could before he turned thirteen.

Tenten wouldn't put him on par with Hizashi or Hatomi but give him a few more years and he would be there. She had no doubt about Shi being as strong as his older siblings and his older siblings getting stronger still. She'd birthed powerhouses.

"Oof," Hizashi grunted.

Shun laughed as Hizashi went to the ground in sit up position but couldn't get back up. Tenten smiled at her son as he stayed grounded for a few moments then turned to grab Shun in his arms. He started tickling him and Shun burst into gasping laughter. She loved the fact Hizashi wouldn't grow up enough to stop playing with his brother.

"Stop! Hizzy, please," Shun got out between laughs.

Hizashi stopped but not before ruffling Shun's hair. Shun grinned at him as Hizashi stood and helped him up. Tenten noticed Hatomi looking over with a small smile on her face. She also noticed Maiya had put her hand _awfully_ close to Hatomi's butt on the grass.

"Aren't you going to train, Hatomi? You're fighting Boruto tomorrow," Shun said.

Hatomi frowned then shook her head. All week she had been working on re-healing from a ruptured spleen and training lightly. She knew as much as she was going to and Tenten knew it. Besides, it was better for her to relax the day before a big match.

"Hey,"

Tenten turned to see Shinobu walk onto the porch. Hizashi got to his feet from doing crunches and greeted his friend with a friendly pat on the shoulder. Hizashi had grown half an inch. He didn't used to be the same height as Shinobu. Tenten sighed. Hizashi growing meant buying him more clothes.

At least the shop had done amazing this month. Once the last match finished and the vests were handed out shortly after, all the visiting folk would leave with a few extra souvenirs and Tenten would go back to fixing broken objects which might not even be weapons. The chunin exams in six months would be held in Suna which meant unless she wanted to put her entire shop into a scroll (doable) and live in Suna for a month (doable if neither of her kids made chunin this time) she wouldn't get the sales.

Wishing her kids wouldn't make chunin would be bad as a mother. Getting her entire shop into a scroll would take a week and the scroll would have to be bigger than she could carry. Tenten sighed. There needed to be more missions for her and Neji to take but that was asking for the peace to dissolve and really, Tenten didn't want that.

She didn't want her kids to experience a new complicated mission every week. She didn't want them to have to face literal life and death situations at least three times a month if not way more. She didn't want them to have to fight in a war. If that meant finally breaking down in a couple of months and going to Naruto for the monthly welfare she and Neji had a right to then so be it.

She watched as Hizashi and Shinobu began katana fighting across the yard as Shun watched from the swings. Shi walked off to meditate as Neji instructed and Tenten met his eyes when Neji sat beside her.

"Hn,"

His white eyes, a bit gold from the sun, shifted to stare at Hatomi and Maiya as he made his "what do we do about that?" sound. Tenten shrugged. She had no idea. He frowned and she knew he didn't like her answer. She narrowed her eyes a bit to show her annoyance at him being upset over her answer and he stuck his lower lip out slightly in apology. She nodded in acceptance.

"Hn,"

His weary sound. He didn't like the fact the kids were growing up so quickly, especially Hatomi. She couldn't help it and she showed it with a little smile. He returned the gesture and rested his hand atop hers. He squeezed her hand lightly and she laced her fingers through his.

She watched Hizashi's katana play and noticed he had gotten better. He hadn't been horrible before but having someone different to practice with helped loads. He would lose that today. She glanced at Hatomi who would lose the source of her confusion and maybe even a source of knowing who she would like.

Tenten squeezed Neji's fingers and hoped that whatever happened in life, her kids would be free and happy.

* * *

Hatomi let out a breath as she stood in front of familiar doors. Today, she would face Boruto, a former friend who had morphed into a boy she disliked because of what he thought about her. She would fight the Hokage's son as the daughter of the man who had saved the Hokage's life. She would fight the boy who likely would have been top in the class if not for her and Hizashi. She would fight the boy who was friends with the son of the snake who had almost killed her brother.

Hatomi smirked when Maiya had told her there was no pressure to win sarcastically yesterday. Hatomi felt obligated to win so she could show everyone kunoichi were not as weak as people might think. She wanted to win to avenge Maiya and in part Hizashi but did not linger on that thought long. Thinking about Maiya leaving tomorrow morning would not help her today.

"Tits,"

Hatomi turned to the voice to see Boruto smirked at her. She snorted at him.

"Dickless,"

He scowled at her insult and she winked at him. The audience had begun to stomp their feet and chant "fight" over and over. Hatomi knew the shinobi in the crowd were not a part of the chant. They knew the seriousness of the competition but the audience thought it no different than the civilian men and women who had begun to wrestle for sport.

The civilians considered the chunin exams another sporting event like archery or kickball. It was not a test to them and Hatomi felt vaguely insulted by the fact she would be put on display as such. At least she helped make her Village ryo to keep the government run Shinobi Academy open.

It would also show civilians shinobi were still needed. The rise of technology had begun to make people think shinobi were nothing more than fast magicians. The chunin exams reminded civilians across the Five Nations shinobi could kill a person in so many different ways a new fangled gun might not even help.

Besides, guns had to be loaded which took at least a minute. Even a genin could disable a man loading his gun in under a minute. People realized with this exam the way of the shinobi still lived and beat stronger than any weapon civilians could come up with.

Cheering now and Hatomi knew Genma had taken his place on the arena floor. Hatomi stiffened her spine, opened her eyes wide, and wiped all expression off her face.

"Hope you brought a tissue to wipe your tears," Boruto told her.

"Against you? No. Good luck though as you will need it,"

"Hyuuga Hatomi,"

Hatomi shoved open the double doors and strode through them. She knew what the audience saw: stiff back but graceful, elegant, regal, refined, and completely confident in ability. Hatomi would not falter in this match. She would not feel horrid about blocking off Boruto's tenketsu or blinding him or destroying his weapons. She would kick his ass.

"She is the daughter of Hyuuga Neji, who is a shinobi veteran of the Fourth War, jonin, Special Ops, and considered one of the strongest of the Hyuuga clan,"

Hatomi said nothing when the crowd erupted into cheers. Some men were telling her to take her shirt off despite hearing her last name and who her father was. Hatomi kept her face impassive and her hands loose as she waited in front of Genma.

"Uzumaki Boruto,"

Hatomi shifted her eyes to watch Boruto enter. The blond had a smirk on his face, hands in his pockets, and looked _bored_. As if fighting her would be more of a chore than a challenge. Hatomi counted to ten in her head and let out the anger in a breath. He would want her to get mad. Being angered would enable her to make mistakes. She would not allow him to manipulate her as such.

"He is the son of Uzumaki Naruto, seventh Hokage, shinobi war veteran and the reason we won the Fourth Shinobi War,"

The crowd frothed at the mouth in excitement, all but the shinobi in the first two rows who sat quietly. Hatomi spotted the second row but kept the frown off her face. It seemed like the entire Hyuuga clan had taken up the second row, former Main House and former Branch House all sitting with looks of concentration on their faces.

None of those with bare foreheads sat beside those with covered foreheads, even now. Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama sat behind mother and father. Mother looked infuriated while father had a weary expression on his face. Another test then. How quant.

"Before we begin, I'd like to say a few words,"

Hatomi looked up to see Naruto-sama had stood. The audience went quiet out of respect. At least the Hokage could still silence a room of civilians. Naruto took a step forward, closer to the rail of the balcony and regarded the audience with a serious expression on his face.

"These exams are an important step in a shinobi's career. It's not a matter of winning or losing for them, it's a matter of _surviving_. What you don't see is that Hatomi's spleen was ruptured twice: once by Uchiha Sarada and once by her twin brother Hyuuga Hizashi. Boruto's right arm was broken thanks to one of Tajima Maiya's attacks. He also lost a lot of blood in that last fight. Our medical shinobi almost fainted from chakra depletion getting them healed up for today.

"You don't see what happens before these fights, the fact we throw twelve and thirteen year olds into a training field coined as The Forest of Death. We lost twenty-five potential shinobi to the forest this year. At the beginning of these exams there were six hundred. By the end of the first test there were half that. Even when a shinobi graduates from the Academy the jonin in charge gives them another test. Three teams passed this year, the three you saw in these exams. There were ten teams at graduation.

"I'm telling you all this to remind you being a shinobi means facing death and overcoming it. This isn't an entertainment style match for these kids. It's a matter of furthering their careers and becoming stronger to protect their Village and its people. Like I said to these kids in the qualifying matches; it doesn't matter who wins because winning a fight doesn't make you a chunin.

"What makes you a chunin is your Will of Fire. Now, let the final match of the chunin exams begin!"

The crowd burst into applause as Genma leaped away and Hatomi lashed out. She activated her Byakugan as she stepped forward in the Gentle Fist style. Boruto hadn't seen it coming but he managed to block her hits before she could hit his tenketsu. It did not matter much as she knew she would wear him down. All she had to do was stop him from making Shadow Clones.

She kept moving forward and he kept moving back, trying to get distance and block her hits at the same time. She would not let him off so easily.

"Eight trigrams, Sixty-four Palms!"

The first two tenketsu points went out as did the next four and Boruto winced. He aimed a punch towards her face but she snapped her head to a side which made him miss. His momentum carried him forward, right into her eight strikes. He allowed himself to keep moving forward during her sixteen strikes but now he was too close. She stepped back and he tried to punch her again.

She shifted her head but at the last minute Boruto changed his trajectory and grabbed her right breast in his hand. Hatomi bit her tongue to hold back her rage but he _squeezed_ her breast then twisted his wrist. Hatomi clenched her teeth to hold back her yelp of pain as she delivered a palm strike to his abdomen. Boruto caught her wrist in his left hand on the retreat then grabbed her other wrist when she went in to palm bottom him. He smirked.

"Go on, try to break free," Boruto said.

She did not have the physical strength to pull away. Boruto deliberately held her like this to show how _weak_ kunoichi were. She felt rage leak through her body and took a breath. She would let the fury fuel her.

"Gladly," Hatomi said.

She booted him between the legs as hard as she could and released chakra into his system which cut off all the tenketsu in his groin and a few along his inner thighs. Boruto squealed and his grip loosened enough she could draw back her throbbing wrists. She punched him in the nose with such force he flew back half a dozen yards with blood trailing through the air in an arching pattern.

Hatomi disregarded the pain in her right breast and ran in to continue her assault. Boruto had sat up so she kicked him in the temple which sent him rolling over the arena floor. Unfortunately four clones separated from him and Hatomi scowled. All five had the same chakra path with the same disruption of chakra in the groin. She would not be able to tell them apart but she would not let him win so easily.

She activated her Twin Lion's Heads and ran towards the five Boruto. She hit two before they were fully up and absorbed most of the chakra in the clones before they both puffed away. The next two were ready for her but her Lion Heads were not simply dodged, especially since she had learned to make them burst forward a bit.

Both clones puffed away and she absorbed even more chakra. The last clone put up a decent fight and soon it too disappeared into a plump of smoke as she absorbed half of its chakra. Hatomi saw Boruto hiding under ground, six yards behind her and smirked.

"I see you, Boruto. There is no point in hiding,"

She heard some laughter from the crowd as Boruto came out from under the cloth he had been using to hide with, a scowl on his face. So far she had taken about a quarter of his chakra. Not horrid considering he had almost four times the amount of a normal shinobi thanks to his Uzumaki blood.

He let the cloth drop then came in. She waited until he was too close to avoid her next move and easily spun into the Revolving Heaven. The chakra dome flung him through the air, upwards by a dozen yards and he came down ten yards away, rolling. Hatomi had all ready started chasing him down, Lion Heads extended.

He got to his feet and grinned. Hatomi held back her gasp as _something_ hit her in the stomach. She glanced down in time to see the familiar swirl of Rasengan. Boruto had somehow made it invisible. The blast knocked her back and shredded her obi. It fell to pieces around her as Hatomi skidded to a stop three yards away.

"How'd you like that one, tits?"

Hatomi scowled. Kami Mitsuki had been a horrible influence on Boruto.

"Are you trying to enrage me?"

"No. I just don't think you're as good as everyone else seems to think,"

He smirked at her. Hatomi snorted.

"I made it this far and beat my brother who beat Mitsuki,"

Hatomi ran in as Boruto snarled and met her. They exchanged fast paced blows but Hatomi had a bit of extra speed on Boruto. She also hit his tenketsu points where he could merely nick her arms or stomach which did little damage.

"I still don't know how you're color blind idiot brother won against Mitsuki," Boruto said.

Well, two could play the insult game. She did not like to sink to the level but she could not allow an insult against her twin to roll off her shoulders.

"A little something called talent which Mitsuki has none of," Hatomi said.

Boruto's eyes narrowed. Their blows came harder but Hatomi did not care about the little jolts of pain from Boruto's open palms.

"Mitsuki's talented,"

"Mitsuki is a snake,"

He grabbed her arms again in rage but she flared her chakra and he was forced to let go. He skidded back and kicked towards her head but she did the splits to dodge then took out a few tenketsu in his legs before being forced to roll out of the way of a fist.

"He's not a snake!"

Boruto had formed a crater in the ground where she had been resting. She had made him upset. Good. He deserved to be upset.

"He was born of a man who is a snake, created most likely judging by the fact Orochimaru did not even visit Mitsuki after my brother beat him and left the Village last week even though his son is still healing,"

Hatomi avoided a wild fist then knocked out more tenketsu in Boruto's passing arm. She swept out his leading leg but he caught himself and flung back his elbow. She ducked, narrowly missing the elbow to the back of her head and slammed a palm into his side. He grabbed her by the hair and tossed her to the ground.

"Mitsuki understands having a father that's not there for you,"

Hatomi kicked him in the stomach as she forced her body up, ignoring the agony in her scalp as she moved. He let her go and stumbled backwards and away from her.

"Your father is here for you,"

"Because he's the Hokage!"

Anger was too weak of a word to describe Boruto in this moment. Hatomi fended off wild blows but could not land a proper hit on his tenketsu. Hm, perhaps making him rage had not been a good plan. Who knew Boruto was so easy to rile up? All she said was the truth after all. It was Boruto's problem he could not accept it.

"No, he is here because he is your father,"

Boruto landed a hit to her cheek which flung her backwards. He kept coming. She blocked his next series of his as he screamed:

"No!"

Hatomi took a breath and cut off the chakra in his right arm. He slammed an open palm into her left breast which drove the air out of her lungs but she paid it no mind. She would help him, so help her Kami; she would help him see the error of his ways.

"There is an enourmous difference between Orochimaru and Naruto-sama. Orochimaru left Konoha on a personal mission to become immortal then returned to destroy the Village and kill the third,"

She had to avoid a few more hits but Boruto paid her all the attention in the world. His rage was still a powerful beast but she would not back down. Somewhere in Boruto was a kind person like the boy she remembered. Mitsuki had warped the boy but after these exams, Mitsuki would have nothing unless he too accepted change.

"He fed off Uchiha Sasuke's pain and manipulated him in an attempt to destroy Konoha. Your father left the Village yes, but to train with one of the legendary Sannin so he could bring back his best friend and teammate,"

Boruto's eyes were becoming damp but his punches had become harder. Hatomi took a hit to her right shoulder so she could cut off the chakra to Boruto's left arm. There. No more Rasengan to avoid. It was a good concept as she would not have been able to take another hit like that.

"Orochimaru created his son, not out of love but for the simple need of experimentation and the necessity of passing on his genes. He does not care if Mitsuki lives or dies and likely sees him as a failure for not being here fighting you,"

Boruto's shoulders were shaking and he had taken to biting his lip. He punched her in the chest and she took a deep breath at the sting.

"Naruto-sama created you out of love and cherishes every moment of your life. He worries about you even now if you bothered to look close enough,"

His next hit knocked the air out of her lungs and drove her back five yards but he followed. She blocked his next series of punches but her arms would be covered in bruises tomorrow. She didn't care. This childish fight between the boys would finish today.

"You don't know that!"

Boruto still would not believe her. She would beat it into him if she had to. She had more to say.

"My eyes see all and I see the sorrow in your father's eyes when you disregard him. Besides, my father would never admire a man unless that man had proven himself like your father has. My father would never outright hate someone like Orochimaru unless he had good reason and I trust my father,"

Boruto stopped hitting her and they stood apart by two yards. Hatomi did not let the hurt show in her face but could not help but pant. She was running half on her chakra from all the blocking. Her body ached from the blows which made her want to kneel down and tremble until the tenderness went away.

Boruto rubbed his eyes then stomped a foot. He glared at her but for once, she did not return the heated look.

"Why? Why do you blindly trust him like that?"

Boruto had every right to ask. Hatomi stood as straight as she could and put a smile on her face, a real smile. She could not help it and besides, Boruto needed to see the love she had for her father in order to love his father.

"Because he is a Hyuuga and in case you had not noticed, the Hyuuga are exceptionally black and white when it comes to behavior. Also, I love my father, I respect him, I admire him, and he inspires me to be the best I can,"

Boruto stared at her with his eyes wide and his lips parted. He shook visibly then looked towards the Kage. Hatomi did not have to turn her head to see Naruto-sama nodding in agreement with her words then give his son a thumb up. Boruto grinned.

"So I'm a big idiot, huh?"

"You said so, not me,"

Hatomi winked when he laughed at her. They charged as one, Hatomi activating a Lion's Fist and Boruto managing to re-route his chakra from his core to his right arm to get a Rasengan. Hatomi let her fist fly as did Boruto and the Lion Fist and Rasengan connected.

Boruto's wind chakra and her water chakra exploded upon impact and drove them both backwards, through the air in an arch which made her slam into the ground with ten yards between her and Boruto. She felt her body roll over and over until she hit the wall. Hatomi let out a breath as her Byakugan deactivated.

Father would take care of her.

* * *

"We have a draw,"

Neji let out the breath he was holding. Hatomi lay against the wall, face to it, with her body in an awkward position. Boruto layed spread eagled on the floor, eyes closed, and panting. Chakra burns covered his right hand up to his elbow from both Hatomi's Lion Head and his mass Rasengan.

Neither had moved for an entire minute but to Neji it felt like centuries. He leaped out of the balcony and ran towards his daughter, activating his Byakugan as he went. Her chakra was sluggish but she still had a little under half. Her ribs were cracked, four on each side, and a bruise formed across both breasts.

Neji knelt behind her limp form and carefully pulled her into his arms as Naruto made announcements that chunin would be announced in two hours. Everyone who participated from the first round to this last round was expected to attend. Neji held Hatomi close for a moment and looked into her unconscious face.

Her lips were parted slightly to allow her to breathe and her vivid eyes were closed. Some hair had escaped the duel braids and framed her resting face. Without the pride seeping through her expression, Hatomi looked like the child she was. Neji blinked away the dampness in his eyes but smiled.

He wanted to tell her now how proud he was of her. He wished she could hear him say how much he loved her, his little girl, his Princess. Neji let out a breath and got to his feet with Hatomi hanging in a bridal carry in his arms. Neji turned to see Naruto lifting Boruto into the same position and they met at the doors.

Naruto let the tears in his eyes run down his cheeks as he and Neji strode towards the bowls of the building to get their children cleaned up and healed. Neji smiled when Naruto met his eyes and Naruto beamed. Neji had missed the immense grin on his friend's face.

"I'm so proud of them, both of them," Naruto said.

"I am as well," Neji said.

It took minutes for both to be lied into a bed. Shizune kicked Neji out of the room as she had to take Hatomi's shirt off and Neji stood in the hallway while Naruto had to leave the room his son was in. No, not Naruto, a clone. Neji smiled as the clone ran towards the Kage balcony where the chunin would be decided on.

After an hour, Hatomi came out of the room while doing up the topmost button on her shirt. Neji placed an arm around her shoulders and held her close. She wrapped her arms around his waist and put her head onto his chest.

"I am exceptionally proud of you, Princess,"

"I am glad, thank you,"

Neji chuckled and wrapped her into a full hug. He felt wetness on his shirt but knew Hatomi was happy. Her giggles helped. He stroked her hair as he held her and kept the smile on his face as they embraced. Naruto came out with a grinning Boruto and Neji nodded to the two. They did not leave as he had expected.

"Hatomi?" Boruto questioned.

Hatomi pulled back but quickly wiped her eyes before turning to face Boruto. She hummed and an eyebrow up in question. Boruto rubbed the back of his head then stuck out his right hand to shake. Hatomi took the offered hand then yelped as Boruto pulled her in for a hug.

"Thanks, cousin,"

Neji heard Hatomi chuckle but she hugged back. The two parted and she nodded. Boruto and Naruto headed out of the hallway and Neji let out a breath. He placed a hand on Hatomi's shoulder and they headed towards the doors where every other participant gathered. Neji stood off to a side with Tenten and she grinned at him.

They headed back to the stands where Shi and Shun waited and Neji took his place between his sons. Shun immediately put his head back on Neji's arm and Neji wrapped an arm around Shun's shoulders to hold him close. Most of the civilians had left but they would be back before the next hour passed.

As if on cue, ten minutes before the designated two hours were up the civilians started re-entering the arena. Every seat became full again and Neji absently rubbed Shun's shoulder. He held Tenten's hand in his free hand while she rested an arm over Shi's shoulder. Three seats were empty beside them, the ones they had saved for Maiya, Hizashi, and Shinobu. Lee and Yusa had an empty seat beside them as well and Neji could not help but smile when Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama took the empty seats beside Tenten.

"Great competition this year," Hanabi-sama said.

"Yeah, it was pretty awesome," Tenten said.

"Hn, many people were impressed with Hizashi and Hatomi," Hiashi-sama said.

Neji was impressed with his children. He half pitied them as the full extent of their power would likely never be used as they were in peacetimes now. No matter. He would rather there be peace then hearing one or both of his children had been injured or worse.

Neji watched as the double doors opened and the teams came walking in, teammates one right after another while the teams lined up. Hizashi took the lead in their team followed by Metal then Hatomi. Maiya's team stood to their right which put Hatomi beside Maiya once the group had entered and settled.

All five Kage stood, leaped off the balcony, and landed in front of the participants as well as in front of a table with vests that had been set up. They regarded the shinobi in front of them with serious expressions on their faces.

Neji licked his lips and let out a slow breath to calm his quickly beating heart. Shun sat up straight now, hands on the railing as he leaned out of his seat. Gaara-sama stepped forward first.

"I want to congratulate all of the participates in making it through to the end," Gaara-sama said.

The Suna shinobi stood proud and the Suna shinobi in the audience cheered. Gaara-sama smiled.

"The following may now don the vest: Miyake Ringo,"

Gaara was interrupted by cheers as Miyake left his place from his team and approached Gaara-sama. Gaara-sama shook his hand before handing over the vest. He took a second vest from the pile and turned back towards the shinobi in front of him.

"And Tajima Maiya,"

Maiya jumped into the air with a shout before running towards Gaara-sama. She hugged him before taking her vest and tugging it into place. Both shinobi stood behind Gaara when he stepped back with a smile.

Darui of the Land of Lightening came forward with a sigh.

"I want to congratulate everyone as well even though no one from my country made it this far. So, I'm going to give the vests to one of the other folks who got through: Shiro Sozui of the Grass,"

Cheers from the few Grass shinobi left as Sozui stepped forward, bowed to Darui then accepted his vest. He stood beside Maiya who couldn't stop smiling when Darui stepped back. Kurotsuchi of Earth came forward with a small smile.

"Congratulations. Since none of mine made it this far either: Miyake Masuhiro of Wave, come on up,"

More applause as Masuhiro retrieved his vest and took a spot beside Sozui who nodded at him. Chojuro of the Mist came forward and Neji heard the Konoha civilians mutter. The hosting country always went last. Neji could see the nervousness in the Konoha shinobi, plainly in Hizashi who fiddled with a senbon.

"Good job on making it this far everyone, you did well. Kawasaki Tomohiko and Akiyama Shinobu please come and get your vests,"

Neji smiled when he saw Hizashi grin. Shinobu looked stunned but was dragged forward by his teammate. Both accepted their vests and everyone went quiet when Naruto stepped forward.

"This has probably been one of the more intense chunin exams we've had in a while but all of you made it through our old school exam and I'm proud of all of you. First up, we have Hyuuga Hatomi,"

Neji chuckled happily as Tenten cheered, standing with Shi and Shun who kept clapping and yelling out as Hatomi stepped towards the front. She had the smallest of smiles of her face and kept the regal grace in her steps but Neji knew she wanted to rush forward to grab her vest. She put the green vest on but did not do it up before standing next to Naruto. He shook her hand and she thanked him.

"Nara Shikadai,"

Temari screamed in joy from her seat a few down as Shikamaru rubbed out his ear with one finger and a wince on his face. Shikadai looked more annoyed then happy but accepted the vest and his handshake all the same. Neji saw Hizashi biting his lip. Chunin promotions were not necessarily done in order so there was still a chance.

"Uchiha Sarada,"

Neji took a deep breath as Sakura cheered when Sarada stepped forward and accepted her vest. Sasuke had the smallest of smiles on his face but Neji could see the pride in the black eye. With so many Konoha participants there could be one more...

"Thank you all for attending this year's chunin exams. In six months we'll be holding the exams in Suna. Have a great rest of your day," Naruto said.

Neji saw Hizashi visibly sag as he dropped his senbon. Neji let out a breath as the civilians began to disburse. The shinobi on the ground either left with their team and jonin in charge or stayed behind with the member who had passed. Everyone else was joining their kids so Neji followed behind Tenten and Shi, remembering to lift Shun into a piggy-back position before jumping to the ground.

He let Shun down before striding across the arena floor to stand next to Tenten who hugged Hatomi tight. Hizashi stood off to a side with a forced smile on his face and damp eyes. Neji knew what his son thought: all that and he still had not made chunin.

Neji knew why. Naruto did not want to take a risk with Hizashi's condition for one. Hizashi also was not mentally ready to handle being a chunin as he had enjoyed taking Mitsuki down too much and allowed Hatomi to control their entire match. Neji would not tell Hizashi this, not in front of everyone.

Still, it had to hurt to see his sister, two new friends, and an old friend be promoted the first time out. At least the teams could be even the second time around.

"My Eternal Rival! We will participate in the second chunin exams in Suna," Metal yelled.

Hizashi nodded.

"Of course we will," Hizashi said.

"Yosh!"

"Who's going to be your third though? One from each of our teams was promoted," Boruto said.

"You, ya big lug," Hizashi said with a grin.

Boruto gaped. Mitsuki scowled as did Inojin and Chocho. If the latter wanted to enter the chunin exams they would have to learn to fight with Mitsuki instead of against him. Neji said nothing about this and stood silently as the newly promoted Konoha chunin talked with their still-genin friends.

Eventually everyone made their way out of the arena. Foreign shinobi began leaving and Neji watched as Shinobu came over with a smile on his face. Hizashi grinned at his friend as Shinobu wrapped an arm around Hizashi's shoulders.

"We've got to get together sometime to spar again, yeah?" Shinobu questioned.

"Hell yeah. But till then I guess we'll have to settle with texting and email," Hizashi replied.

Shinobu laughed and they shook before Shinobu joined his team. Hizashi waved as did Shinobu until the Mist shinobi disappeared.

Maiya came over next but showed no nervousness in her steps. Hatomi's shoulders stiffened a bit and Neji bit his tongue to keep from telling Maiya to back off, especially in front of Metal. Neji spotted Hizashi watching out of the corner of his eye as Hizashi faced Metal who kept talking about the next chunin exams with Boruto enthralled.

"Well, I'll text and email you. Congrats and see you around," Maiya said.

"Hn,"

Maiya giggled before hugging Hatomi hard. Hatomi's eyes went wide as a faint flush crept over her cheeks. She did hug back, much to the surprise of Chocho and Sarada. Maiya whispered _something_ in Hatomi's ear before drawing back and jogging towards her team. She did give a backwards wave as she took off which Hatomi returned with a wave of her hand.

Neji kept his glare down as Maiya disappeared. Sarada and Chocho were asking what was up with Hatomi but she would not answer. They all went for dinner at a casual restaurant and Neji got a seat between his daughter and wife. Metal got in beside Hatomi which made Hizashi snort and stare as Shun sat beside Tenten.

"Jeez," Hizashi said when Shi took the seat beside Shun who giggled.

Hizashi put himself between Boruto who smiled and Mitsuki who scowled. Neji said nothing as Hizashi turned to Mitsuki and grinned.

"You know, just because your dad's an ass doesn't mean you have to be," Hizashi said.

Silence around the entire table as Mitsuki gaped at Hizashi. Neji kept his laughter down when Hizashi rolled his eyes and patted Mitsuki on the back.

"Besides, do you know boring it is sitting around while Shikadai naps and Inojin sketches all the time? You might be a jerk but I kinda miss you. So long as you stop making fun of Hatomi or me while meaning it then you're cool," Hizashi said.

"Why the sudden change in heart?" Mitsuki asked after a moment.

"Again: your dad's an ass. I'd feel like just as big as an ass if I kept holding a grudge. So, we cool?"

Hizashi kept the smile on his face as Neji watched. Mitsuki shook his head but grinned, a much softer expression than Orochimaru.

"We're cool. Sorry I tried to kill you,"

"Heh, sorry I broke your arm and leg,"

"And sorry about making fun of you guys,"

"No problem. Sorry I killed your summon,"

"I didn't like him much anyway,"

"Oh good,"

Neji snickered when everyone began laughing. Mitsuki apologized to Hatomi and she nodded in acceptance. Dinner went along wonderfully and Neji left with his children and wife when everyone else started leaving. The Konoha streets were empty as they headed home but Neji did not mind.

Hatomi had made chunin. Hizashi and Hatomi had reconciled with Boruto and Mitsuki. Life was excellent.

* * *

Told you it was going to be a long chapter. Yeah, Hatomi's speech made Hizashi realize how much of an ass he was being. Yep, Mitsuki and Boruto are good guys again. No, I didn't make Boruto cheat during the exams or have some crazy people attack. That might come later.*winks* As always: I live off reviews. ;)


	35. Decisions

**Decisions**

 **Author's notes:** Oh look, more plot!

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs and bondage sex. If this bugs you, then turn back now...though I'm not really sure how you made it this far.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

It had been an entire month since Maiya had gone back to Suna, a full month since she had become chunin and Hatomi felt as if a year had passed. She did not want to admit it out loud but she missed Maiya. The texts and emails she received from the Suna chunin did not help as much as Hatomi had hoped with this feeling of emptiness in her heart.

Hatomi had begun to feel restless two days after Maiya's departure and even now she felt as if a part of her had gone missing. Hatomi knew what this meant thanks to father. Hatomi wanted to be with Maiya.

There were many issues with this. For one, Maiya lived in Suna which was a three day journey from Konoha. But if Temari-sama and Shikamaru-sama could make it work without technology than Hatomi and Maiya could make it work with technology. The immense issue in Hatomi's eyes was Metal.

Her friend, teammate, cousin, and the teen that had an enourmous crush on her. Father did well in keeping Metal back as father would not give Metal the approval he wanted to court her. Hatomi had a feeling it had become more for her sake than anything else but did not want to bring it up with father at the moment.

She had other issues on her mind. How to tell Metal she no longer felt the same, how to tell Maiya she wanted to be in a relationship somehow, and how to tell the people she considered close she wanted to be with a woman. Then there would be the Hyuuga clan to consider as most of the former Main House would mock her or her father in her decision. There were too many potential consequences Hatomi did not want to think about.

It was likely why she threw herself into training with her brothers and Metal. Hizashi needed to be ready for the chunin exams in Suna which would take place in five months. He had plenty of time to prepare and the exams would be in a warm climate instead of Konoha's cooler climate but Hizashi did not train with her all day like he used to and she needed.

Hizashi, Metal, and Boruto trained as a team during the day while she trained alone while watching them on the field. Occasionally Hizashi would come spar with her, or Metal but not often enough for her to stop considering her plights. Shi enjoyed training with her some evenings but he mostly stuck to work with father.

Worse, on the weekends, Hizashi wanted to relax so he left the house before noon and did not return until ten in the evening. Hatomi had never thought she would miss her brother so much. It did not help matters that Shi kept training with father, Chocho worked with her father and Inojin while Sasuke had decided to stick around so Sarada stayed at home. For the first time in her life, Hatomi felt alone.

She did not enjoy the feeling.

Hatomi checked her phone for what felt like the millionth time but Maiya still had not responded to this morning's text. It had been an hour but to Hatomi it felt like weeks. She huffed and watched the birds picking at the seed in the birdfeeder outside her window. Even they had company.

"Hey,"

Hatomi turned to see mother smiling at her from the doorway.

"Hn,"

"Bored?"

"Hn,"

Mother chuckled at her then motioned for her to follow. Hatomi followed, more out of curiosity then anything and caught up in the hallway. They left the house and Hatomi fell into step with mother, trying not to be so disappointed that Shi had been training with father in the yard while Shun happily played with Miruku on the porch.

Mother said nothing as they strode away from home and Hatomi glanced up at her. Mother walked with the grace of a well trained shinobi but had the relaxed countenance of a civilian on her face complete with the smallest of grins. Hatomi studied mother's features: the thick brown hair braided then twisted into twin buns at the sides of her head, the large hazel eyes framed with thick dark lashes, full heart-shaped lips, and smooth tanned skin.

Mother had beauty in a subtle way unlike Hatomi who could wear a garbage bag and still attract attention. Hatomi wished she had more of mother's restrained attractiveness. They could not help being born of father who even now was considered one of Konoha's best looking men.

"Your dad and I tell each other everything, you know," mother said.

Hatomi nodded when mother looked at her. So mother knew about Hatomi's confusion with Maiya and Metal, well, former confusion. Now Hatomi knew what to do but had no idea how to go about getting her plans started or even what to say.

How did one go about breaking a best friend's heart without losing the friendship? How did one initiate a relationship with someone who lived three days away over text? How did one go about telling her family she wanted to be with a woman yet still enjoyed looking at men?

"You know we've always said you're a lot like your father. That means I can read you as well as I can read him,"

Interesting concept. So mother could tell she was at a crossroads of sorts, restless, frustrated, nervous, and likely other feelings even Hatomi could not put a name to but mother likely could. This knowledge made her feel better.

They were leaving the market district of Konoha. Hatomi did not know where they were going as she had never gone along this path but trusted her mother. They kept walking in silence until they left behind buildings entirely and headed towards the forest. Even still, they kept walking. Hatomi did not ask mother where they went.

Since mother could read father so well then mother would know exactly where to bring Hatomi to...to...Hatomi was unsure. They came out of the trees a while later and Hatomi stared around her in concealed wonder.

They had come to a clearing, not large, but enough so it held a little pond surrounded by natural rocks and there would be enough room on the soft looking grass to lie out in with another person. Wild flowers grew among the rocks and the grass while a few butterflies fluttered through the air lazily.

The pond looked deep enough to cover a person to waist height and it was wide enough to admit two people comfortably so long as they did not want to swim for long or far. It was a perfectly secluded place, surrounded by trees and out of the way of both the Village and the training fields.

Mother sat, facing the water so Hatomi moved to sit beside her. Mother began to pick some of the wild flowers, arranging them by length in front of her and Hatomi watched. There were many compliments and even insults people could say about mother but everyone would agree mother had patience in spades.

One needed patience in dealing with father's quiet ways and wordless way of speaking. A person needed to be patient in dealing with Lee-sensei and Guy-sama. Someone who excelled in long range attacks or precise pinpoint attacks needed to know to wait for the exact time to strike. Learning to attack with mother's accuracy took time as did learning how to use the seals she did to hide away the objects and weapons she did.

Hatomi knew she would break under this silence first even though all mother did was hum softly as she gathered wildflowers. Hatomi stared at the grass in front of her crossed legs and tucked some errant hair behind her ears.

"I want to be with Maiya,"

Mother's hands did not stop moving but instead begun to weave the wildflowers into a crown. Mother nodded but did not stiffen nor did she chide Hatomi in anyway. Hatomi saw mother listened, attentively, and waited for whatever else Hatomi needed to say.

"I do not know how to tell Metal. I do not know what to do if the Hyuuga former Main House should hear about it or how to tell the people I care about I want to be with another woman. I am not even sure how to tell Maiya over text or how it will affect my relationship with Metal as a friend and teammate,"

Mother nodded and let out a breath. She finished the flower crown and Hatomi blinked as it was placed on her head. Mother gently brushed hair out of Hatomi's face as she readjusted the crown with a smile.

"Why does it matter what the former Hyuuga Main House think? They can't do anything to you," mother said.

Hatomi opened her mouth then closed it. Mother smiled and began twirling one of the wildflowers left over between her first and middle fingers of one hand.

"And yeah, you might break Metal's heart but his dad's faced rejection before so will help him out of it. Besides, you know how Green Beasts are; they bounce back from pretty much anything with the right support,"

Hatomi again found she had no way to argue against mother's logic.

"It won't affect your team dynamics. Metal and Lee won't let it. Protecting their precious people and the Village will always trump their feelings towards whomever they happen to be working with or their feelings in general. Metal's known you for so long anyway he won't want something like this to affect what you guys have.

"Sure, he'll be upset, who wouldn't? But he won't stop being your friend. He's a good kid,"

Hatomi felt some weight come of her shoulders but...

"As for telling people: just tell 'em. We're the blunt family. Everyone knows to expect it with us. It might suck telling Maiya through text and it's going to be difficult being in a long distance relationship but if you guys really like each other then you'll make it work,"

Mother was a genius in a hidden way. Hatomi hugged her and mother snickered lightly as she wrapped her arms around Hatomi. Mother's logic was sound and Hatomi could not believe she had not seen it before. She drew back from the hug and stood. She placed the flower crown atop mother's head.

"I am going to speak to Metal," Hatomi said.

Mother stood and gave her another hug.

"Okay. Good luck and remember that he'll be fine,"

Hatomi nodded and they parted again. It did not take Hatomi long to find her way towards the training grounds where Metal sparred with both Boruto and Hizashi. Lee-sensei stood off to a side, cheering them all on and Hatomi let out a breath.

Her stomach coiled in knots and she had begun to sweat under her light shirt and tights. She caught herself biting her lip and stopped. She uncoiled her hands from the fists she had subconsciously formed and strode into the training field.

Hizashi saw her coming and had probably noticed her a while ago. A little frown twitched onto his mouth but his form did not falter. Boruto spotted her second and Metal noticed because Hizashi and Boruto tilted their heads towards her ever so softly. Metal stopped in mid-spar, shouted her name, and ran to her.

He started talking loudly about how pretty she was, how youthful, and how much he wanted to woo her but how sad it was her father kept them apart. Hatomi stared at his large black eyes, his shining black hair, and tanned skin, wishing the hair was long and auburn, the eyes sea green, and the skin a slightly darker shade of tan.

"I like Maiya," Hatomi said.

She had not meant to blurt it out as bluntly as she had but it did stop Metal's tirade of words. Hatomi noticed Hizashi held Boruto back by the arm. Lee-sensei stood with the other two boys and had a little smile on his face.

"What?" Metal asked.

His eyes had gone wider than normal and his lips had parted. He had sagged forward and his thick eyebrows were lost somewhere under the bowl cut of his hair. Hatomi took a breath and let it out slowly.

"I like Maiya," Hatomi repeated.

"As a youth—"

"As more than a friend,"

Hatomi bit her tongue as Metal gaped at her. She had struck him silent. Hatomi had not thought it entirely possible unless it required her taking off her shirt or being in clothing too tight to be considered proper. Metal shook his entire body then met her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Hn,"

He sagged again. Hatomi did not know if she should hug him or walk away. It would be awkward to touch him and might give him a sense of hope that she jested. Walking away seemed too cruel though so Hatomi was stuck rooted to her spot with Metal staring at her as his eyes teared up.

He went to his knees and tears rolled down his cheeks. His arms hung loosely at his sides and he bowed his head so low she had to step back lest he head butt her legs. He bent completely forward so his head touched the grass and began shaking with tears. Hatomi felt a sting across her eyes but blinked away the blurriness of her vision. She turned on her heel and ran.

In hindsight this would not have been the best move to make but Hatomi did not care. She needed to get away from the boy whose heart she had ripped out of his chest and crushed. She had destroyed one of her best friends, her teammate, and her cousin but somewhere deep down, she was relieved. She could talk to Maiya now and tell her she was ready to do, well something.

Even so, she hated herself for hurting Metal. She could do nothing about it now.

* * *

Hizashi watched as Metal fell to the grass in defeat. Hatomi's eyes teared up as they went wide, her lower lip began trembling, and she took off a moment later. Regret, pain, and even a bit of fear had flashed across her eyes before she ran and Hizashi sighed.

"Uh, why is he crying and she running?" Boruto asked.

"It's complicated," Hizashi said.

He saw Lee-sensei had sagged forward, mouth dropped open in shock. Right. Lee-sensei didn't know Hatomi had been trying to make a decision between Metal and Maiya. Hizashi sighed and left Boruto to Lee-sensei before walking up to Metal.

"She, she, she," Metal tried.

"I know. C'mon, let's go take a walk," Hizashi said.

He guided Metal to his feet, waved off both Lee-sensei and Boruto then began leading Metal away from prying ears. He kept his Byakugan on because hey, it was a colorful day out and he wanted to make sure no one followed them. They walked until Metal no longer cried so openly and sat at the edges of the training fields, pretty darned close to the Forest of Death.

Hizashi watched the clouds floating through the bright blue sky as Metal finished crying. He offered Metal a canteen of water and some tissues from a scroll he'd packed just in case this day happened and Metal thanked him. Hizashi kept his eyes forward but could still see Metal's heartbroken face.

"Maiya kissed her when Sarada and Chocho were fighting. Apparently Maiya's always liked girls and Hatomi was confused about it for a while. She's been really distant this past month and it probably didn't help I've been training away from her for all this time but she needed her space. It sucks she chose Maiya but you know you can't force her into anything,"

Metal nodded and began picking at his tissue. Hizashi made sure no one was close then deactivated his Byakugan so he could look Metal in the face. Sure, the lack of color sucked but Metal needed to meet someone's eyes now and the creepy veins did nothing to help with the whole pupil-less aspect of his eyes. Metal met his eyes for a moment then looked away.

Oh right. Hizashi had the same color eyes as Hatomi which Metal didn't want to see right now. Hizashi sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"What's wrong with me that she chose another girl?" Metal asked.

"Nothing. And you know she liked you right back for a while. I guess she just changed her mind. I don't know why or how but it happens. You know there's other girls though, right?"

"Not like your sister,"

Metal sighed as Hizashi watched him. Yeah, there weren't any girls like Hatomi. Few women had Hatomi's golden eyes, curves, and frosty attitude all rolled into one neat little package. Hatomi wasn't perfect since she hogged the bathroom and tended to be bitchy sometimes but Metal wouldn't have minded.

"No but your dad's with Yusa-sama and your mom's pretty darned close to Hatomi, without the attitude," Hizashi said.

Metal smiled lightly then gaped. Hizashi yelped when Metal grabbed him by the shoulders.

"You're right! Dad is with my mom who is a beautiful, brilliant, _civilian_! I have been going about this all wrong! Thank you Eternal Rival! To Youth!"

He was gone before Hizashi could fully process what the Hell had happened. Hizashi blinked at the path of dust left behind by his friend and shook his head. He smiled anyway because only a Green Beast could bounce back so quickly.

And only a Green Beast could take Hizashi's words so literally and go to seek out a civilian woman to court. At least dad didn't have to worry about the random Metal appearances but Hizashi was pretty sure dad would miss the weekly treats of herring soba. Hizashi snorted. Life was never boring in his family.

* * *

Tenten couldn't help but snicker as Neji sighed and stretched out in bed. The day had been interesting. Hatomi had confessed her feelings then told Metal she had chosen Maiya. Metal had come by shortly after Hatomi had gotten back home (in tears) and forgiven Hatomi for what had happened, promising to still be her friend. Hatomi had fainted in relief and Neji pouted because it meant no more weekly herring soba.

The best part of it all was Hizashi had been the one to comfort Metal after Hatomi had left the field in tears from breaking Metal's heart. Tenten couldn't be prouder of her kids for facing their feelings and helping their friends when needed. Her kids were following their hearts and that's all Tenten asked for.

"So, how's it feel to know your Princess may like girls only?" Tenten asked.

Neji hummed and stared at the ceiling for a few moments, considering. He shrugged.

"I told her while she was recovering in the hospital that no matter whom she chose I would still love her and I mean it," Neji said.

Tenten kissed his cheek and he pulled her in closer. He wore nothing but the tight briefs and Tenten loved snuggling up against all his bare flesh. She ran a hand up and down his chest and he smiled softly at her. Hell, she wore nothing but a tank top with slender straps and a pair of panties.

Neji's hand was on her lower back, massaging gently and Tenten wrapped her legs over his. He hummed at her and met her eyes. Tenten brushed some shorter hairs out of his face and he watched her, white eyes tracking the movement of her hand as she ran her fingers over the side of his face.

It was moments like these Tenten enjoyed about her relationship with Neji, well these quiet moments plus the kinky sex, the sex in general, his quiet ways, and how well he knew her. He knew when she wanted to cuddle, when she wanted vanilla sex, or when she wanted to tie him up. He knew when she needed comforting or needed to try to beat the crap out of him to vent her frustrations.

He gave her the time to see her friends or read up on weapons or repair the odds and ends from the shop. He didn't care she decorated their walls with weapons instead of more pictures or that she could talk his ear right off sometimes.

Tenten smiled when he gently kissed her fingers when she ran them over his lips. He shifted in closer so their entire bodies were flush against the others' and both his hands ran up and down her back underneath the tank top. His touch was soft which made her skin tingle in all kinds of warm ways and Tenten pressed her hips against the growing hardness in his briefs.

"Hn?"

She giggled at his questioning sound but nodded. Neji gave her a little smile before dipping his head forward and capturing her lips with his. He didn't prod her mouth open but instead moved his lips leisurely against hers as if memorizing the texture of her mouth. Tenten had no problems with this as she tangled one hand into the hair at the base of his skull. She massaged gently and Neji hummed at her before rolling them so he was on top.

Tenten spread her legs so he could settle between them, rock hard cock against her wet pussy with thin pieces of fabric between. Neji's hands made short work of her tank top and she pushed his briefs down with her free hand. He had to help her get him fully naked but neither minded.

Neji left her lips, trailing soft kisses down her neck to linger on her breasts. Tenten grinned as he kissed her nipples and fondled her breasts. His hands moved down her sides and she shivered when he hooked his fingers into the waist band of her panties to tug them down and off.

Tenten ran one hand down his back, tracing over the pale marks left from the whipping she had given him a few nights ago. The marks would be gone by morning though the scars from the ten tails attack and Kidomaru's assault would never leave his flesh. These scars had ridges in them and the skin would always remain paler than Neji's natural tone, never tan, and always feel puckered under her fingers.

They served to remind her how close he had come to death, once to try and bring Sasuke back to Konoha and once to save Hinata and Naruto. Her man: the hero, the one willing to sacrifice his life to save others. And people called him a jerk.

Tenten gasped when Neji bit her nipple, not hard but enough to make her thrust her hips up towards his. He chuckled at her before nibbling at the flesh between his lips so she gave him a swat on the ass. It caused him to moan and push forward. She felt the wetness of his cock against her and grinned.

One of Neji's hands was tucked into the dresser drawer on her side of the bed, rooting through the contents to find a condom. She chuckled when he grunted in annoyance then activated his Byakugan. And people called her a convenient shinobi. She wasn't the one who could keep kissing her partner and look for a condom at the same time.

Neji found what he needed and she kept back her laugh at his successful sound. She helped him rip open the package then leaned back on his knees so she could push the condom down over his erection. Neji let out a low groan at her slow ministrations and she winked at him once her hands reached the base of his cock.

Neji pushed her onto her back and attacked her mouth, this time pressing past her lips and into her mouth with his tongue. Tenten wrapped her legs around his waist and tangled a hand into his hair again, the other going to his ass to give him another swat.

Neji jolted into her with a little sigh of pleasure and the head of his cock pressed inside of her. One of his hands massaged her breast while the other ran up and down her spine, stopping to play with the hairs at the back of her neck which drove her wild.

She shoved her hips up and he complied, entering her with a swift thrust which made them both groan. He didn't wait long since she smacked his ass again. Neji began driving forward, hard, fast, and Tenten met his pace while breaking the kiss so she could pant against his neck. Neji kissed her throat between heavy breaths which made his warm breath run over her damp throat. Tingling pleasure ran down her body as he kept pumping into her at a steady pace.

His hands weren't idle: one played with her nipple while the other rubbed against the back of her neck or her spine at intervals. She kept delivering soft swats to his ass while her other hand ran over his scalp pausing to pull lightly at the hair on the back of his neck. Neji's pace quickened and she met him thrust for thrust, not caring the headboard banged against the bathroom wall or they both were groaning rather loudly. She hadn't placed the sound proofing jutsu on all their walls for nothing.

Tenten tugged hard on Neji's hair when she came and he growled lightly as he exploded inside her. They trembled together, coming down from the high as she massaged his scalp where she had pulled his hair. He hummed in thanks before shifting so his head rested between her breasts, his muscled legs tangled with hers and both hands wrapped around her waist.

"Comfy?" She asked.

Tenten tried not to laugh at his satisfied sound but a few giggles slipped through. Neji snorted at her but snuggled into her breasts, wrapping his arms tighter around her. She smiled at she petted him softly and felt his entire body relax against her. It didn't take long for Neji's breaths to even out and become deeper, indicating he had fallen asleep on her. She didn't mind one bit. It was another reason why she loved him.

* * *

She still had not answered. Hatomi sighed and looked over her text messages again, more specifically the one she had sent to Maiya yesterday after speaking to Metal: _I want to be with you. How do we go about starting a relationship?_ Perhaps she had been too blunt. She may have scared Maiya off with such a direct statement.

Hatomi sighed again and tapped her fingers against her leg. She flicked through her contacts but did not feel like answering the messages from Sarada and Chocho asking why she had denied Metal and what he meant when she said she liked Maiya. Apparently Metal told people _exactly_ what Hatomi had said yesterday which meant all their friends knew she was interested in another girl.

It was why Hatomi had feigned sickness and stayed home from training. Technically she was sick. She had not been able to eat since dinner yesterday and even then it had been little. Sleep had escaped her all night and as such a throbbing pain had been behind her eyes when she woke this morning. She wanted to pace but she wanted to sleep. Hatomi kept staring at her phone from her position sitting in the middle of the bed.

She fiddled with the tips of her loose and tangled hair before regarding her hairbrush across the room on her long dresser. Hatomi disregarded the brush and looked back down at her phone. Perhaps Maiya had changed her mind when she had been in Suna for the month.

Maybe Maiya had found some other girl in Suna to be with and was now ignoring Hatomi since it would likely be easier than to outright tell Hatomi about it. Surely Maiya would not be so rude. Hatomi hoped not.

She jolted when her door opened and looked up to see Hizashi entering her room. He wore plain black shorts with a bit of fraying at the hem with a simple white tee shirt. His long hair was loose and damp from a shower, trailing down his back in soft waves. Golden eyes were bright in the light of her room as he softly pushed the door shut then flopped onto her bed beside her. He stretched out on the bed, buttocks on the edge of it while his feet hung towards the floor and his arms reached out towards the wall beside her bed.

The position made his shirt ride up, exposing his toned abdominals and the start of the v at his hips. She met his eyes and he gave her a soft smile.

"You know what they say about watching a pot?" Hizashi asked.

Hatomi huffed at him. His grin widened as he tucked his arms under his head to cradle it.

"Metal found some leather-makers' daughter to woo, as he says. She doesn't look a thing like you but he swears he's in love. I think he trips too much but whatever,"

Hatomi could not help the soft smile spreading across her face. Hizashi kept his eyes on hers as she shrugged. He smirked.

"She's cute though. Red curly hair, green eyes, and averaged sized. She kind of looks like Yusa-sama but in a different way. I think he's got some kind of mom issues or something, you know?"

Hatomi chuckled. She realized after a moment she no longer felt as exhausted as she had all day nor as sick. Of course Hizashi would be able to lighten her spirits.

"Her name's Minako and I don't think she's quite sure what to make of the Green Beast hanging around her mom's shop proclaiming his love for her,"

Hatomi nodded, happy Metal had broken out of his depression of sorts so quickly. She felt a bit horrid as well since he had moved on so swiftly. Hatomi let out a breath as Hizashi grew serious.

"I did have to explain to Sarada and Chocho what Metal meant when he said he was courting Minako because "the sweet blossom has chosen a different flower by the name of Maiya." I think they took it okay but you know, it _would_ help if you answered your phone,"

Hatomi frowned and stared at her phone again. It had not made a sound or vibrated to let her know a new message had come through.

"Metal did seem kind of bitter when he talked about it but he'll get over it completely in a month or less. And since some of the guys were hanging around I had to explain to them too what Metal meant which means all our friends know you're interested in another girl. I don't think any of them care, so long as you're okay. They were all wondering where you were and how you were doing more than who you want to be with and what that person has between their legs,"

Hatomi appreciated her family's bluntness. She especially appreciated the fact Hizashi had started with lighter news in preparation for the heavier news he dealt. It was also comforting to know her friends worried about her. She could tell Hizashi had been concerned as well. He never entered her room with asking her permission and rarely stayed this long.

"Thank you," Hatomi said.

He shrugged and sat up, catching his falling body on the flats of his feet so he did not slip completely off the bed. He gave her another sunny grin and Hatomi smiled back though not as brightly.

"No problem. It's what older brothers are for, right?"

She swatted him in mock annoyance and he laughed. He got to his feet with a graceful movement and strode towards her door with a grin. He shut the door when he left and Hatomi stood. She tossed her phone onto her bed so she could at least brush her hair and put on a bra before going to dinner with her family.

* * *

Dinner had been typical except for the fact Hatomi wore her hair in a simple ponytail and still wore her pyjamas which consisted of a pair of pink short shorts and a pink tank top with tiny sleeves. She had put on a bra at least and she did not look as exhausted as she had when Neji had gone to check on her this morning.

She did not look completely like herself but Neji knew it had to do with the fact Maiya had not answered Hatomi's message about beginning in a relationship. Neji wanted to tell his daughter it would be fine but knew Hatomi would not listen, not really.

He would not have listened either if in her position and she did act like him in most situations. At least after dinner Hatomi curled up on the couch with her phone instead of in her room. She took up the corner where the horse-shoe curved into more couch instead of the flat area while Shun sat with Miruku on the flat area of the couch. Hizashi sat on the floor with Tenten to clean his weapons while Tenten worked on cleaning a decorative set of blades. Shi meditated in front of the flat section of the couch so Neji took the middle of the couch to read.

He did notice Hatomi kept playing with her phone, typing on it more than a few times as she spoke to Sarada and Chocho through text. Neji did not understand the concept behind texting. It would be as quick for Hatomi to call her friends and talk to them instead of typing out a message, waiting, typing out a new message and repeating the process.

Texting could be used to deliver a message to a teammate on a mission but the need for even this was rare. Missions were not as difficult as they used to be. As happy as Neji was that his children would not be injured or worse on a mission, he hated being so idle.

His entire life before the war had been dedicated to training, learning the Hyuuga techniques, and surviving in a world on the brink of war. This peace time did not sit well with him as there were so many books he could read and so many times he could spar with friends before he became lax.

Peace had a way of dissolving though. Neji hoped it did not explode.

"There we go, all shiny. Doesn't that feel better?"

Hizashi cooed at his massive axe and Neji smiled at his son. Shi shook his head while Shun giggled. Tenten beamed at Hizashi, congratulating him on a job well done but Hatomi did not react. She was engrossed in staring at her phone, waiting for a message to come in from someone.

Neji did not blame his daughter in waiting but did not see the benefit in having all this new technology besides storing important documents in a much smaller space. They could not lose information because of general decay or old script but Neji knew most people in his generation would still go find a scroll before they went off to look for some file on a computer.

"Oh don't worry precious, you'll be as shiny and sharp too," Hizashi said to his katana.

Neji spotted Hatomi purse her lips to keep back a laugh. At least she had started paying attention. As time passed he noted the happy light Hizashi had brought back to Hatomi's eyes started to fade. She began picking at her shorts, the arm of the chair, or the frills on the pillow she leaned on and Neji frowned.

"Perhaps she is on a mission and cannot answer her phone," Neji said.

Hatomi looked at him then blinked. She nodded but did not look convinced. Neji shifted until he could wrap her in a hug and she hummed at him before squeezing back hard. He kissed the top of her head and wondered where the years had gone.

It felt as if it had been yesterday he discovered Hatomi had activated Byakugan. But here she was, grown into the body of a woman with the mind to match yet still thirteen and dealing with her first potential relationship. Kami he felt old.

"Thank you," Hatomi said softly.

"Hn,"

She kissed his cheek before leaning away and wishing everyone else a good night. Hatomi hugged her mother, gave Hizashi a friendly swat on the shoulder, ruffled Shi's short hair, and hugged Shun before walking off to her room. It was hardly half past eight.

Hizashi huffed at the shoulder smack but had a grin on his face while Shi left his hair as it had landed and Shun petted Miruku with a smile on his face. Tenten had a smile on her face but Neji could see the concern in her eyes. If changing diapers and waking up at all hours of the evening had been difficult, dealing with his children's first real relationship would be rocket science. He would take the dirty diapers and temper tantrums of a toddler any day.

Shi and Shun bade their good nights and Miruku followed Shun to his room. Hizashi sat up with them cleaning his weapons until nine then he too went to bed after cleaning up his mess on the floor. Tenten wiped down the display knives for a final time and met his eyes.

"What do we do if she's not on a mission?" Tenten asked.

Neji frowned and shook his head. Besides being there for Hatomi, he had no idea. Hatomi was not even sure if she liked all women in a sexual way or solely Maiya. She had no one to test on besides the foreign shinobi unless she wanted to try with a shinobi. Neji folded down the corner of the book he read and placed it on the table.

Tenten got up and sat beside him on the couch, curling into his side so he wrapped an arm around her before pulling her down with him in a laying down position. They cuddled together on the couch and Neji let out a breath.

He would hate to see Hatomi become emotionally hurt over this. Like him, immense emotional pain tended to manifest as physical pain quicker than other people seemed to do the same. He had learned to hide it well and did not want his daughter to learn to do the same.

"I miss when they were six," Tenten said.

Neji chuckled and kissed the top of her head. Six had been a good age. But children grew as he and Tenten kept aging. Neji held his wife closer and asked Kami to have some mercy on his children. It was the least Kami could do.

* * *

I'm so mean to this family. I sorry. *sad-face* Reviews welcome. I live off them ;)


	36. Capture

**Capture**

 **Author's Note:** Twelve more chapters to go my friends. Don't forget to check out "Bond: Memories" and request what memory you want to see.

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs and bondage sex. If this bugs you, then turn back now...though I'm not really sure how you made it this far.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

The past few days had been miserable for his sister and Hizashi didn't know what else he could do to bring her out of it. Maiya hadn't texted for a grand total of four days and a few hours which made Hatomi more distracted and upset the longer she had to wait. At least Hatomi wanted to train now.

Too bad she took out all her frustrations on him, Metal, and Boruto during said training. Now Hizashi saw why she had made chunin over the rest of them. She kicked all three of their asses daily while they went home covered in the coin sized bruises of her Gentle (not) Fist with wonky chakra networks and no feeling in their entire bodies from being beaten up so hard.

At least it was good training.

Hizashi checked his phone in case Maiya had messaged him then shook his head before stretching out in bed. He turned towards the clock and squinted at it to see the time. Twenty-three minutes after one in the morning and he still couldn't get to sleep.

His brain wouldn't shut down about Hatomi or Metal going so forcefully into courting Minako. Metal hadn't tried to woo Hatomi so hard over the past year and Hizashi thought his friend had slipped past the line between cute and stalker. Stopping Metal was like trying to stop the Twin Rising Dragons: next to impossible which meant it was best to avoid it and pick up the pieces once it was over.

Hizashi didn't think there would be much of Metal left to pick up if he got rejected a second time so soon after Hatomi admitted to liking Maiya. Hizashi was starting to agree with mom and dad in wishing they were all less than ten years old again. Stupid life getting complicated as a person got older.

He sighed and sat up. The covers were a struggle to get off as he'd cocooned into them in hopes of going to sleep but Hizashi was free a moment later. Too bad he'd almost fallen out of bed to do it. At least no one had seen the embarrassing tug of war game with the covers.

Hizashi strode out of his room and headed towards the kitchen. He would have a cup of warm milk then read one of those boring history books dad liked and he'd pass out before two in the morning which meant he'd get a three hour nap before Hatomi kicked his ass again.

He did not make it to the kitchen.

Hizashi flung out senbon but the shadow in the front hall shifted to avoid most of them then caught the ones it hadn't avoided in one hand. Hizashi activated his Byakugan and stared as the shadow burst into muted colors. Byakugan picked up more light than a regular eye so Hizashi could now see the shadow for what it was:

An ANBU operative wearing a hawk mask.

"The Hokage is asking for Team Guy and Team Lee's presence immediately for an emergency mission," the ANBU said.

Hizashi blinked. He had to be dreaming. What kind of mission would need mom, dad, Lee-sensei, him, Metal _and_ Hatomi? They weren't at war.

"Did you hear me?" the ANBU questioned.

Hizashi bit his tongue. Pain. Nope. This wasn't a dream. He deactivated Byakugan. Hizashi had a feeling he would be needing it soon so might as well not waste energy.

"Yeah, I'll start waking people up," Hizashi said.

The ANBU nodded. Hizashi turned on his heel and decided it best to wake up Hatomi first. She'd take a bit longer getting her butt moving while mom and dad were used to being woken up whenever to do a mission. Hizashi took a breath before knocking on Hatomi's door then opening it and flicking on her overhead light.

Hatomi groaned before glaring at him from under her covers, body wrapped in a plethora of pink all the way over her head so all he could see was her heated looked. Talk about if looks could kill.

"ANBU. Mission. Hokage. Now," Hizashi said.

He stepped out of the room as she blinked then sat up. One sleeve of her tank top had come down her shoulder but Hizashi didn't linger on how much the sleeve had helped to leave exposed. He walked across the hallway and opened up the door to his parent's room, turning on the light as he went.

Hizashi immediately regretted this decision.

Mom and dad gaped at him, both with wide open mouths, wide eyes, and a flush coming over their faces. Mom was naked, on her back in bed with her legs wrapped around dad's equally naked body. Dad wore a leather collar, complete with a silver chain that mom had wrapped in her hand. In her other hand was a paddle she had been using to spank dad with over the _object_ in dad's ass. Dad was in mid-thrust, half in and half out of mom.

"Er, mission, ah, immediately, sorry, Kami damn it,"

He shut the door with way more force than needed and tried _not_ to think of why his parents had been up at such an early hour having kinky sex. The ANBU snickered at him and Hizashi let out a breath before walking towards his room to get dressed.

He activated Byakugan to grab matching clothes then deactivated it to get dressed. He packed the clothes for back-ups into a scroll before finding the mission scroll he used that had ration bars, bottled water, non-perishables, a tent, some chopped wood and other supplies they might need. Hizashi wrapped his scroll belt around his waist before putting on those two scrolls then considering the rest.

He grabbed his A and G set of Twin Rising Dragon scrolls, his main battle scroll, and a few others then placed them all on his belt. Small scrolls full of either senbon, shuriken, or kunai were tucked into the pockets of his shirt or into his sandals. Hizashi clipped on his med pack, tied his hitai-ate into place then finished by brushing his hair and slinging it into a low pony tail. He had taken seven minutes.

When he came back into the hallway he spotted Hatomi fully dressed in black tights, a purple shirt that ended at her mid-thighs with frills and buttoned up to under her chin, and a black obi with black shinobi sandals. Her hitai-ate was around her neck and she carried a black bag on her back, likely full of at least two sets of clothes. She had braided her hair into a single plait at the back of her head.

Mom and dad were in the hall as well, both in their typical shinobi gear which for dad included black pants, a short sleeved white shirt with the over the shoulder button, and a gray flank vest, with black sandals and his hitai-ate in place to cover the Caged Bird Seal. For mom it was her white qipao dress with flame pattern, fish net stockings, knee high black boots, scroll bracelets, braided buns, and black obi around her waist.

"Yusa-sama's going to take care of Shi and Shun. She's going to move in while we're gone," mom said.

Hizashi was glad she'd answered his would've been question then deactivated his Byakugan again. They left the house with the ANBU operative but the ANBU disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Mom locked the door but left the keys under the mat for Yusa-sama then they all took off, heading for the roofs.

They caught up with Metal and Lee-sensei three blocks from the Hokage tower and for once Lee-sensei looked serious. Metal had his eyes half closed in tiredness and Hizashi wanted to take a picture to have proof Metal could be tired. The thought of pictures left once they hit the stairs of the Hokage building.

Hizashi followed his parents up the stairs at a quick pace and they basically jogged down the hallway. Dad opened the door and they stepped inside the Hokage's office where Naruto-sama sat behind his desk looking as exhausted as everyone probably felt.

Naruto-sama's orange shirt was wrinkled and he had bags under his dull bull eyes that trailed down his cheeks. His short blond hair looked messier than normal and he sagged forward in his rolling chair, white Hokage's cloak bright in the room. The servers for the main frame of the Hokage Tower and school hummed lightly but there were still piles of papers and scrolls all around Naruto-sama's computer.

Shikamaru-sama looked as rumpled and his spiky hair was lopsided. A lit cigarette hung from between his lips and for several moments, Hizashi didn't know what to think of the fact Shikamaru-sama smoked. He'd never seen Shikamaru-sama with a cigarette in his mouth or flicking an older dinged up silver lighter.

"Thanks for coming so quickly," Naruto-sama said.

Apparently this wasn't meant to be answered as he kept talking.

"I got an urgent request from Gaara in my inbox. One of his genin teams left on a mission four days ago to escort the Earth daimyo back to his mansion. Gaara got the head of the daimyo thrown threw his window about an hour ago,"

Hizashi saw black spots taking over his vision but blinked them away. The room had become warmer and sweat gathered at his lower back. He couldn't get enough moisture in his throat but his hands wouldn't be able to hold a weapon with how wet they were.

"What about the team?" dad questioned while looking and sounding as calm as ever.

Naruto-sama shook his head.

"We don't know. I'm sending you guys along the path they would've taken to find either them or their bodies and to see if you can find who did this. You'll be looking for Nakamura Kito, jonin in charge; Tajima Maiya, chunin; Tahara Hogai, genin; and Mino Shigetoki, genin,"

If Hizashi had been about to faint at the mention of a headless daimyo then Hatomi might fall over since Maiya's name came up. At least they knew why she hadn't responded to Hatomi's texts. It wasn't good to know the girl might be _dead_.

The chances of Maiya still being alive were slim to nill. If the daimyo was dead and she had been escorting him, well. Hizashi looked to Hatomi and saw she had gone paler than normal and her eyes were damp. Her hands had clenched into fists and shuddered a bit but besides that her expression was smooth. Her body was too tense though.

"Neji, you'll be in charge. You know why I'm sending you guys,"

Hell, Shun and Shi would be able to figure out why Team Guy and Team Lee were going on this mission. The Green Beast Teams were always the quickest and the teams that could take the most physical damage but still come out on top. They covered all fronts: close range, mid range, long range, and each of them had a specialty skill to boot.

"Sakura will be joining you guys at the gate,"

And they were taking a med-nin. Naruto-sama wasn't taking any chances. Then that meant...

"I'm considering this an S-rank mission. Normally we don't send two genin but we'll need Hizashi's multi-attack range and colored Byakugan plus having a second person who can open the Gates will help a lot,"

Yep. They would all get a lot of cash for this, over 140,000 ryo each and that was if the mission paid the least amount on the pay scale. Hizashi wouldn't even know what to do with it all besides save it for when he wanted to move out.

"You're to leave immediately. Here's the mission scroll. Come back safe,"

And alive hung in the air but Hizashi decided it best not to mention it. Dad took the scroll, they bowed, and they all headed out. Again they hit the roofs and headed towards the Gates. Dad read over the scroll as they ran, Byakugan activated, and Hizashi noticed they weren't slowing down when the Gates came into view.

He was about to ask but Sakura-sama joined them as dad rolled up the scroll. They left the Village less than a minute later and took to the trees. Hizashi didn't know what to say as dad described the route they would be taking.

"We will rest for a few hours when the sun sets,"

That meant they wouldn't stop tonight and keep moving all through tomorrow. Holy crap. A few hours? It meant maybe a power nap before running again. No wonder genin normally didn't go on these kinds of missions.

"Sounds good. How are we handling the searching itself?" mom asked.

"Once we get to the path we will fan out. Tenten you will go with Hatomi. Metal, Sakura, you will go with Hizashi. Lee, you will be with me. We will take the direct path while Hatomi and Hizashi's groups will go to the edges of my vision perimeter to the right and left, Hatomi right and Hizashi left. Naruto gave us radio communicators good for 1,500 meters so keep that in mind. We will set those before we rest or right after,"

Hizashi was going to be wandering off with Metal and Sakura out of dad's 800 meter vision field which meant Hizashi wouldn't see dad. Dad would want them to go three hundred meters out of his field so in total they would have the whole 1,500 meters from dad to the edge of Hatomi and Hizashi's vision field, if not a little more. Talk about covering a lot of ground.

Dad had also separated them so the long range attackers were on the outskirts of the search area and the med-nin was with the two genin. Dad was damned good.

"Understood?"

Hizashi saw mom, Sakura, and Lee nod, all serious. He nodded along with Hatomi and Metal. At least they'd have a day before the actual search began. Hizashi was going to need the day to mentally freak out before being any kind of useful on this mission. Hatomi would need longer. Thank Kami mom and dad were here.

* * *

Hatomi knew she had been on auto-pilot since hearing Maiya's name. She barely registered the fact she would be putting three hundred meters or more between the end of father's vision perimeter on the right and her body with mother as her guardian while Hizashi would do the same on father's left with Metal and Sakura-sama. Lee-sensei would stay with father. They would have radios good for a distance of 1,500 meters which meant she could technically stray her entire vision field away from father's field.

Radio or not she would not dare to get so far unless absolutely needed. Logically there was nothing wrong with father's plan and it was the perfect use of resources to get the mission complete the quickest with the least amount of injury. In her heart, Hatomi did not want to be on the mission for the simple fact of what might happen if she and mother were the ones to find Maiya's body.

Kami, she should have known there had been something wrong when Maiya did not answer her texts.

Hatomi put this out of her mind and concentrated on keeping up with mother, father, and Lee-sensei. No one said what they would all be thinking. If Guy-sama was still able to walk he would be with Hatomi and mother. Guy-sama's bones, muscles, and even veins had been completely obliterated in his right leg and he had lost all feeling in it.

Even if they had amputated and tried a replacement leg like they had replaced Naruto-sama's arm, the new leg would never be able to stand the pressure of Guy-sama's taijustu. Besides, all the nerves were dead to Guy-sama's right hip. The prosthetic would not have even worked. Shinobi missing an arm could still serve depending on the shinobi but one without a leg was useless as they could not run or even walk.

Hatomi pushed these thoughts from her head but her mind whirled with thoughts of Maiya and if the Suna shinobi might even be alive. Maiya might not have even seen Hatomi's text before she, she.

No.

Hatomi could not afford to think of Maiya being dead. If she did then the mission would be over before it even fully started as Hatomi would have a mental break down. So the daimyo had died. It could have meant he ran from his protection and had been captured as no one had been with him. This would mean the enemy had captured the four Suna shinobi and would be holding them hostage for, for.

Damn it.

Hatomi wished she could stop thinking. Activity normally helped and they were running at top speeds through the Konoha trees in the middle of the night. Apparently this activity was not enough to get her mind of Maiya's potential death. The sun rose which made running easier. Mother threw ration bars to everyone from one of her many scrolls but besides the sentiments of thanks being exchanged there was no conversation.

Hatomi could not even remember what rank this mission would be classed as though she assumed S-Rank. She barely remembered half of what Naruto-sama had said after hearing Maiya's name. The fact Hatomi had not simply keeled over and cried astounded her. Saving Maiya or confirming her death came first. Then Hatomi could break down.

The kept quiet as they ran through the trees and Hatomi realized they were in the Land of Rivers all ready. They had to go through Suna then to the Land of Stone. The Earth daimyo would have been escorted through Suna and into Stone to get to Earth which meant the attack could have happened anywhere. The Wind Country's desert was a large area to cover.

No small wonder Naruto-sama had wanted three Byakugan users. The wide open space meant mother and Hizashi's attacks could not be avoided unless the person was a Hyuuga or had a wind style attack. It also meant their search team would be seen for miles away as well. The desert was an unforgiving place.

The sun had begun to go down and they were hitting the middle of the Land of Rivers. Father stopped them and began handing out radios. Hatomi put her transmitter on over her shirt and under her hitai-ate then tucked the ear piece into her ear before adjusting the volume down.

"Test, test, one, two, three," father said.

Mother repeated it then Lee-sensei, Sakura, Metal, and Hizashi. Hatomi had heard them all over her headset as well as in front of her. She spoke and her voice came out calmer than she felt. Everyone nodded. It hit her even with the radios she would not be able to hear Hizashi, Metal, or Sakura-sama. They would be 2,100 meters away. Even so the overall area they could cover in a straight line would be 2,800 since she and Hizashi were putting three hundred between the edges of father's field with their own.

No other team could do what they were about to do. Kiba-sama could not take in a scent so far off and Shino-sensei could not physically see what was so far out until his insects returned to him. They were the best team for the job.

"We will rest for five hours," father said.

Barely a nap considering they had been up for almost twenty-four hours. She had been up for longer. Hatomi had not slept properly in almost a week. They did not bother to set up camp but they did eat a ration bar before father took first watch. Mother would take second then Sakura-sama and Lee-sensei, finishing off with Hizashi who had offered before she could even think of opening her mouth.

Hatomi leaned against a nearby tree and closed her eyes but did not sleep. She heard every motion, slight as it was, of her family and friends. When it came time to move she stood with the others and they headed towards the final stretch of Suna. They hit the desert by mid-afternoon on the same day, day two of the mission.

The heat was oppressive but they did not slow down. Father angled them so they would come onto the path the daimyo would have been led down. It did not take them long to hit the path, according to father anyway.

"Scatter," father said.

They scattered. Mother stayed with her as they angled away to father's right at a forty-five degree angle as Sakura-sama and Metal did the same on father's left side. Soon they all left her vision field and Hatomi saw nothing but sand, an occasional rock, mother, and some cacti. A lizard would be on a rock once in a while but she saw nothing of any kind of struggle.

Every half hour, father checked in with them and Hatomi looked forward to those moments as even though she ran parallel to him she could not see him. He would tell them about Hizashi's group and give updates on him and Lee-sensei as well. It took barely a minute but Hatomi relished in it.

The sun began to set again as they made their way to the Land of Stone. The desert had become much cooler and Hatomi was glad for it. Her skin hurt from the sun and her body was exhausted from running so far in such a short amount of time. They kept moving under father's instruction and would for another half hour.

They would rest apart but Hatomi and mother, like Hizashi, Metal, and Sakura-sama were to move into father's vision field by a hundred meters after his last check in. Hatomi agreed with it all though did not understand fully what they would be doing. Her mind kept lingering on how they would find...

A flash of silver danced at the edge of her vision field. Silver in the desert meant metal which meant she had found either a body or the site where the group had been attacked.

"Metal, five hundred and fifty meters to my front," Hatomi said.

"Weapon or hitai-ate?" father asked.

She couldn't tell and let him know. It was half buried under the sand. Father told everyone they would keep going until Hatomi and mother hit the metal spot. Everyone would stop when they did and once they found out what the metal meant, they would either converge or keep going. Hatomi hoped they did not have to converge.

She kept her eyes on the flash of metal as it glittered in the setting sun. Within moments she and mother hit the half buried metal object. Mother gave the signal they were there as Hatomi went to her knees in the sand. Mother was with her a moment later and she checked for traps. Nothing. Hatomi pulled up the metal object.

She almost dropped the metal weapon and started crying.

Maiya's chakra trench blade, dusty, a bit chipped, but in her hand and not in Maiya's regardless. Hatomi swallowed down her tears and scoured the area with her detailed vision while mother told father what they had found. Hatomi felt her heart jolt when she caught another flash of metal.

"Hitai-ate,"

A hitai-ate attached to a body with no chakra network which meant the person was dead. Hatomi went towards it with mother and again mother checked for traps. Again there were no traps so mother helped Hatomi uncover the body from the sand. Father said he was on his way with Hizashi's team close behind but Hatomi wasn't listening. They had uncovered the face of the body.

It was not Maiya but Maiya's jonin in charge Nakamura Kito. Hatomi had met him a few times while Maiya waited in Konoha to participate in the chunin exams. Now he was dead, a few days at least and Maiya was missing one of her trench knives.

"It's Nakamura Kito, not sure how he was killed yet, we're still uncovering," mother said.

"Roger. We will be there in five,"

"Roger,"

"Fifteen for us,"

"Roger. Over and out,"

Hatomi accepted the little shovel mother brought forth and they continued to dig. Father and Lee-sensei arrived five minutes later, Sakura-sama, Hizashi, and Metal ten minutes behind them. By the time Hizashi arrived the sun had fully set and the body was uncovered. Hatomi was also freezing but said nothing. All she could do was hold Maiya's trench knife in her hand as if she was about to use it.

Father studied the area around them and Hatomi watched. Father's eyes could pick up more than her eyes could so she trusted him. They all looked to Hizashi when Hizashi narrowed his eyes then pointed.

"There's a scrap of fabric, sky blue, attached to a weight and buried under the sand two hundred meters that way," Hizashi said.

She and father would have never seen it. The fabric would have blended in with the sand at this time of night and buried under the sand as it was. Hatomi knew Suna shinobi carried pebble sized weights with them to leave trails for other shinobi to follow. The only one who wore sky blue on Maiya's team was Maiya herself.

She was alive, rather had been alive a few days ago.

"There's another one two hundred meters off the first but a little to my left," Hizashi said.

"Hn, we shall follow the path then in a group. Hizashi, lead the way," father said.

Hizashi nodded with the smallest of smiles on his face then took off. Mother placed a pole on the spot of attack before following and a bright flag, a foot off the ground, waved softly in the breeze. The pole of the flag was so deep it would not blow out by a soft wind. No, even a sandstorm might not be able to pick it out of the ground.

Hizashi pointed out the weight when they got to it but father said to leave it. Mother placed another flag at the point to continue to mark their path for the Suna shinobi. It was Sakura-sama who placed the call to Suna, informing Gaara-sama they would leave the path. Sakura-sama told them they would be getting Suna reinforcements heading towards them in an hour. Hatomi knew the reinforcements would not catch up unless father called for a break.

He did after they placed five more flags. Hatomi sat with the others and accepted the blanket mother gave her. Hatomi did not let go of Maiya's trench knife and no one questioned her on it. The knife might be all of Maiya Hatomi would have left.

* * *

Neji widened his eyes when he caught movement at the edge of his vision field. He was exhausted and chilly but Tenten had made a warm meal thanks to her scrolls. The stew sat nicely in his stomach and the blanket she had given him kept off most of the chill. Nothing would block the look on Hatomi's face from his vision.

His daughter gripped Maiya's trench knife like a life-line, her lips set in a scowl where the lower lip trembled as if she wanted to cry. Hatomi's eyes were damp but dim, downcast and focused on trench knife in her hand. Hatomi did not sleep like her brother, Metal, Sakura, her mother, or Lee, nor did she even bother to pretend to sleep. She sat on her blanket, shoulders sagged and spine curved slightly as she considered.

Neji focused on the coming reinforcements and smiled.

Kankuro was all alone but he would be more than enough. With six puppets under his command Kankuro was like six shinobi all rolled into one. He was also one of Suna's faster shinobi and knew the Konoha shinobi well so the mission would not become awkward. Kankuro also knew the desert and surrounding areas well considering all the time he spent traveling across it and into neighbouring lands as Gaara's right hand man.

"Hey," Kankuro said when he was close enough.

"Hello," Neji returned.

Kankuro's dark eyes scanned their little camp and lingered on the sleeping children in turn. A little frown came to his face and he met Neji's eyes, raising one eyebrow under the deep purple war paint.

"My son found the trail. If not for him we would not be having this conversation," Neji said.

Kankuro smirked but nodded. He pulled his hood further down his face to stave off the chill of the air and for once Kankuro's choice of clothing made sense. Neji said nothing about this as he turned back towards the camp.

"Rest for a few hours then we'll head off when the sun rises," Kankuro said.

"Hn,"

Neji turned off his Byakugan before settling beside Hatomi. She glanced at him briefly then went back to staring at the knife in her hand. The trench knife in her delicate hand looked obscene somehow but Neji did not linger on it. Instead he closed his eyes and cleared his mind as Kankuro sat neat the fire.

When Neji began to feel warm he opened his eyes. The sun had started to peek up over the flat line of desert. Neji looked around the camp to see Tenten all ready making breakfast at the fire. Lee and Metal were stretching out limbs gone stiff while Hizashi sat on his blanket with an exhausted look on his face. Hatomi had not moved all night.

She stood when Neji placed a hand on her shoulder then tucked the trench knife into her obi carefully before folding up the blanket. Neji followed then helped gather all the supplies before they ate. Within ten minutes they were following Hizashi again.

Neji still could not see the scraps of fabric Hizashi talked about but Kankuro confirmed every one with a metal detector good for hundreds of meters deep. The desert began to give way to trees but they stopped fifty meters from the tree line. Neji scowled.

They were headed straight for the Land of Rain which considered itself free from the rule of the Five Great Nations and the nations considered hostile. Neji let out a little breath and considered. They had recovered one body which Suna shinobi were picking up now. They had to confirm the deaths of two genin and a chunin.

"There's another weight in the forest," Hizashi mentioned.

Neji inclined his head then glanced to Kankuro. The Puppeteer had a scowl on his face but the look in his eyes was determined. He nodded. Neji glanced to Lee who inclined his head along with Sakura. Tenten's eyes flicked to their children for a moment then to the forest but she too agreed.

"Let us keep going," Neji said.

Hizashi led them forward, into the hostile land, and Neji tried not to tense as much as his body wanted him to. He allowed his eldest son to lead them into enemy territory with his daughter and god-son in tow. His decision to do this would be the reason anyone got hurt and it would weigh on his mind for the rest of his life no matter how small the injury.

They traveled until the sun set again and Neji scowled. Every day they took, no, every hour they took to find the enemy was another hour the captured Suna shinobi would be tortured or worse. He glanced to Hatomi who had taken to holding the trench knife in her hand again. Neji did not know what they would have to do to bring Hatomi out of this if Maiya ended up dead. He would bring her back, no matter what.

"What the?"

Neji blinked and chakra paths, _enemies, dozens of them_ had surrounded them. It had been Hizashi who spoke. Neji gave off directions so Lee, Metal, Kankuro, Tenten, and Sakura could attack. The enemies did not fall and Neji stared.

"Hey, why are we attacking trees?" Kankuro asked.

Impossible. Unless, no then that meant...

"Ranmaru?" Tenten questioned.

Instead of an answer they were attacked by the real enemies Neji could not see with his Byakugan activated. He scowled as he turned off his dojutsu and the enemy Rain shinobi came at him with kunai raised. He knew some of Lee's techniques but the Hyuuga Gentle Fist was lost to him and more importantly, Hatomi.

Neji began his defense, blocking all four coming at him with bare hands. Kunai nicked across his flesh but he was faster and rammed two fingers under the chin of two of his attackers to send off a burst of chakra through their entire skulls.

Both fell dead in front of him and he used one's body to block an attack from one of the ones still living. He tossed the corpse into the coming assailant before turning and kicking the other in the head. Neji's eyes wander to Hatomi who had deactivated her Byakugan and fought with a fury Neji never thought he would see in his daughter.

She used the trench knife as if she had been taught with it, sending out burst after burst of chakra through either blade into the foreheads or necks of her enemies. She eviscerated one while Neji watched and he stared in wonder as his daughter, his Princess, ripped the knife through the enemy's body, became drenched in the blood of the man, and merely kept moving onto the next despite her entire right arm being covered in blood.

Neji turned in time to slam a palm into the sternum of the man coming at him and released chakra into the man's system which caused his heart explode internally. The man he had kicked had risen and Neji took him out with a palm thrust to the throat. Hatomi had run a blade horizontally across a man's throat and blood poured down on her right shoulder, the right side of her face, and down her right side.

His Princess was covered in so much gore. Neji wanted to sit down so he could try to remember she was a shinobi, a chunin, on an S-Rank mission. If she did not fight like this then she would die. Neji took a breath and continued the assault. It would be best not to watch his daughter slaughtering enemy shinobi else he would go insane.

* * *

These were the men who had taken Maiya. She did not have to ask them to know for certain. There would be no words as she did not wish to hear the filth coming from their mouths. There would be no reason good enough to rebel against the Five Nations, kill the Earth daimyo, and hold Maiya captive.

More enemies came at her but she did not care she could not use her regular techniques. No, she had Maiya's trench knife and it would be all she needed to dispatch these cretin. And slay she did.

Blood coated the right side of her body from her forehead down to her hips. She did not care. It felt _good_ to slide Maiya's blade through the flesh of the Rain Shinobi and spill the hot blood onto the ground around her and them.

Another slice and the eyes of the man in front of her went dim as he fell over. His scalding blood rained onto her from the separation of skin she had caused across his throat. She pushed his corpse out of her way then leaped, jamming the end of Maiya's trench knife into the forehead of the next enemy. It took a moment for her to tug the blade back but she sent chakra through it which made his head explode.

Bits of brain, blood, and skull hit her legs but she did not mind. She turned and spotted her next target. This one stood frozen in place with his jaw dropped and eyes wide. The kunai in his hand trembled as he raised it when she came towards him.

The blade sung as she swung it through the air towards his throat. Flesh parted, red burst out, and Hatomi realized this one had probably been no older than her. She watched as his body fell back and the kunai dropped. His hands went to his throat where a second gory smile had been rendered.

Hatomi watched him land on his back in the grass as blood seeped between his fingers. His lips were still parted but he screamed for help now, silently as she had taken his voice. His eyes were wide, darting from side to side for any assistance, and he clenched the wound as hard as he could.

She watched as his body began trembling, his eyes rolled back into his head, and finally he went limp. His hands fell from around his throat and landed awkwardly on the grass. His eyes stayed rolled upward but began to glaze over as she watched. His blood dripped down her blade onto the ground beside her as she stared.

The sounds of weapons hitting weapon and the clatter of puppets filled the air and Hatomi looked up from the corpse of the boy in front of her to the rest of her family. Father struck with precision, simple palm strikes or two fingered assaults in vital areas. Little bursts of chakra would fly from the strike and the enemy would fall over dead without blood.

Hizashi used his battle axe, flinging people aside with the bulk of it or literally cutting people in half. Those who managed to dodge lost a limb on the retreat. His blade carried blood but his clothing was mainly clean.

Metal and Lee-sensei kicked and punched their way through enemies leaving behind a plethora of broken limbs, ruptured organs, and fractured skulls. They were unsullied as well but the corpses looked as if they had been dropped from dozens of yards to splatter on the ground. It had likely happened with a few.

Sakura-sama punched _through_ her enemies, literally in some cases with her chakra charged fist going through an enemy's stomach out of his back until she tossed him off as if she threw a wash cloth behind her. Her arm was not covered in blood as the chakra protected it.

Mother used her Bo to smash in skulls or break limbs. She jammed the end through eye sockets or into the stomachs which caused a burst of blood which Hatomi thought did not make sense until mother drew back to reveal a blade on either end of this Bo. Even so, mother had not a drop on her.

Kankuro-sama had disappeared but his puppets had not. Their wooden bodies clattered through the air, slicing, poisoning and otherwise dismembering the enemies around. When the last enemy fell to a palm thrust from father everyone stood in their last position, breathing heavily and waiting for another assault.

"I've got one alive,"

Kankuro-sama jumped down from the trees with one of his puppets. The chest of the puppet opened to reveal an unconscious Rain shinobi. Hatomi left the body of the boy behind to converge with the rest of the team around the unconscious man. Mother tied the man up with chakra blocking rope then looked to her.

Mother's eyes went wide and her lips parted. Hizashi, Metal, Lee-sensei, Sakura-sama, and Kankuro-sama followed mother's gaze and gave her the same stunned look. Metal fell over from it while Hizashi dropped his battle axe. Hatomi looked to father and saw weariness there as well as a bit of sorrow.

"Er, let's get cleaned up," Sakura-sama suggested.

Mother took Hatomi behind a set of bushes before instructing her to strip. Hatomi took off her clothing and saw the blood had seeped through to her undergarments. Luckily mother had brought a washing basin and enough water so Hatomi could rinse off the blood with a cloth. Mother had to help for speed's sake and Hatomi shivered at the touch of the cold cloth on two different areas of her body.

Mother had to change out the water so Hatomi could dunk her head in it and rinse out her hair. Finally, shivering, she was allowed to re-dress in a new set of undergarments, tights, a shirt, and an obi. This shirt, like the other buttoned until under her chin but was in deep blue this time. Hatomi rinsed out her hitai-ate as best she could before wrapping it back around her neck along with the radio. Mother helped her re-braid her hair as Hatomi folded her soiled clothes to be washed when they returned home.

Everything was cleaned up and they strode back into the area to see it devoid of corpses. Hatomi did not ask how the area had been cleaned up nor did she particularly care. The captured shinobi was now dead but father looked pleased yet disturbed.

Hatomi did not enjoy the look.

"He told us where the others are being held," father said.

Hatomi felt a bit of a weight come of her shoulders.

"They were going to use the shinobi captured as hostages and all ready began making arrangements. One body part from each until their demands are met,"

Hatomi gulped and felt her stomach recoil into the knot which had begun to loosen.

"Gaara just told me they got Shigetoki's left hand with a note in it talking about their terms this afternoon, while we were coming here. I called to update him. Anyway, they wanna do a trade: one Konoha shinobi for the three Suna shinobi," Kankuro-sama said.

The knot tightened but Hatomi clenched her hand around Maiya's trench knife. Her throat was dry but all she wanted to do was find more enemy shinobi. She had another change of clothes.

"Who?" Hizashi asked after a tense moment.

"You," Kankuro said.

This time Hizashi did not have his battle axe in hand but the expression on his face still showed awe. Hatomi felt her rage increase and clenched her teeth. She saw father's eyes narrow and his eyebrows come down as a scowl spread over his face. Mother snarled.

"For his Byakugan," father said.

Kankuro-sama nodded.

"For his _colored vision_ Byakugan as well as the potential of his aiming and summoning skills," Kankuro-sama corrected.

It should be impossible for Rain Shinobi to know so much about Hizashi. No one outside of Konoha knew Hizashi's Byakugan came with color as no one could tell by looking at him. People may have learned he could summon like mother but his eyes were a secret among friends and Hyuuga relatives.

"They can't know that unless we've got a rat in Konoha," mother said.

"More like a snake," father muttered.

Orochimaru. Hatomi would kill him when she got back to Konoha. Capturing Maiya to use as a hostage was one strike. Wanting to trade Maiya for her twin brother, the snake would be poached.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Sakura-sama said.

"It's a pretty damned _good_ conclusion," mother snarled. "There aren't a lot of people outside of our families and the Hyuuga Elders that know Hizashi has a colored Byakugan. Mitsuki would've told his father about it though and why should we trust the man who almost _killed_ my son?"

Sakura-sama took a large step back from mother who had summoned a series of kunai into her hands and spun towards Sakura-sama while radiating killing intent. Hatomi watched as father took a step forward and placed a hand on mother's shoulder. She knocked off father's hand with a growl but father hummed at her. A staring contest began and mother huffed before glaring at the ground in defeat.

"Right, anyway, they said we'll get a piece of Hogai tomorrow then Maiya," Kankuro-sama said.

His words did well to fill the tense silence but did nothing to relieve the stress in anyone's faces. Hatomi still felt the need to run and hurt something.

"The base where they're being kept at is a half day from where we are. Even if we leave now we won't get there before they take said piece of Hogai. Plan?" Kankuro-sama asked.

Everyone looked to father who hummed. Father looked to Hizashi who blinked at him before glancing at mother who raised an eyebrow at him. Another staring contest but Hatomi jolted with everyone else when mother slapped father in the face forcefully enough to leave a hand print and almost knock father off his feet.

"You _will not_ use our son as bait," mother yelled.

"Then come up with a better tactical decision," father said.

His voice was quiet but firm. Mother stared at him for a few moments, seething then turned on her heel, putting her back to father and crossing her arms under her chest with a sound of anger. Father sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"We will rest for a few hours then head to the base in the morning. When we get close enough, Kankuro, you will tie up Hizashi then—" father began.

"Wait, _what_?" Hizashi broke in.

Father huffed. He could not honestly be thinking of leading Hizashi into the base.

"Allow me to finish," father said. "You will be tied up yes, but in such a way that one tug will set you free. We will take your weapon's belt and other various packs but you will be keeping scrolls in your shirt. Once we have the hostages in our sight, we will attack. Do you honestly believe I would simply _give_ you to them?"

Hatomi let out a breath as Hizashi flushed then shook his head. Father hummed and explained the rest of the plan. Hatomi did not want to rest once he was done but she had no choice. In eight hours Maiya would be safe. Hatomi clung to this hope as she closed her eyes for the night. Tomorrow. Everything would be fine tomorrow.

* * *

And cut. Ha. Sorry. Not really. *winks* Reviews welcome.


	37. Love

**Love**

 **Author's Notes:** Sorry for the long break without notice. Life happened and I got caught up doing a bunch of stuff...yadda, yadda. But, I have always told myself I'd never be one of those authors who abandoned a fic, especially if at least one person is reading it. So, here we go!

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs and bondage sex. If this bugs you, then turn back now...though I'm not really sure how you made it this far. Also, Hizashi gets a little creative with his language.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Hizashi didn't like the thought of being bound by his _mom_ of all people. Why Kankuro-sama or Lee-sensei or _anyone else_ couldn't be the one to tie him up wasn't as much of a mystery as Hizashi had hoped. Mom knew the most about tying a person up and had the most experience with rope.

Considering what he knew about his parents' bedroom life, Hizashi didn't want to linger long on mom's expertise with tying a person up. As it was, mom had wrapped the rope around him from mid-bicep down to his waist with his arms straight to his sides. His wrists were pulled uncomfortably backwards as she bound them behind his back.

He hated the feeling of not being able to use his hands. There was no comfort even though his scroll belt had been clipped up higher on his body so it would be hidden by the ropes. And okay, he still had all the scrolls in his shirt plus the ones in his shoes but it wasn't like he could access any of those weapons.

Mom put the end of the rope in his hand and he clutched it.

"Pull on that when we give the signal," mom told him.

"Okay," Hizashi said.

"And remember: you've been captured by Kankuro to save the Suna shinobi,"

"I know,"

"And the signal is a whistle like—"

"Tenten," dad's voice was amused.

"What?" mom asked.

"He's a genin, he knows," dad said.

Hizashi kept back his smirk then nodded to mom who pouted. She hugged him regardless as Kankuro-sama chuckled and Lee-sensei started going on about youth with Metal. Sakura-sama rolled her eyes. Too bad Hatomi did nothing but stare straight ahead.

Hizashi was marched away from the group by Kankuro-sama. There was no leash on his rope since Kankuro-sama would carry him over a shoulder once they got close enough. He still hated the fact Kankuro-sama had to blindfold him _now_ so he could activate his Byakugan and look out for everyone as they moved into position.

Mom, dad, Sakura-sama, Metal, Hatomi, and Lee-sensei followed behind but slower and fanned out. Dad and Lee-sensei over took everyone as they would be in charge of getting behind the enemies to keep them from taking off. Mom went alone to their right since she'd be the surprise attack along with Hizashi.

Metal, Hatomi, and Sakura-sama went left since it would be there job to grab the Suna shinobi, Sakura-sama's job to heal any injuries. All Hizashi had to do was pretend he couldn't see and struggle against Kankuro-sama in about a mile for about the same.

Kankuro-sama had called the proper number last night, informing the enemies he had captured "the boy" and would bring him to the hide-out at a designated time Hizashi hadn't paid attention to. He had been more concerned about the look in Hatomi's eyes.

Fury like he'd never seen shone in the golden eyes of his twin. She was ready to go on another killing spree like earlier and Hizashi didn't want to see it happen. Seeing Hatomi effortlessly kill shinobi after shinobi the way she had, not even caring when she was coated in blood had been too much for him. He hadn't rested at all when they got the chance.

The look on her face during had been one of rage, concealed for the most part what with narrowed eyebrows, wide eyes, and a snarl he'd never seen on her face. She'd been precise, deadly, and downright terrifying. It hadn't helped she hated to get dirty so seeing her standing there so nonchalantly covered in blood struck something in him he couldn't figure out.

All Hizashi knew was he didn't want to see the look on her face again. In theory he knew it would happen since they were going to be sharing their shinobi careers and all. But to see his sister sink into the deadly killing mode again, no, it wasn't right.

Hizashi sighed when Kankuro-sama lifted him and slung him none too gently over a shoulder. He began struggling like a good little captured shinobi, even going so far as to curse at Kankuro-sama about being a traitor to Konoha and all that. Hizashi saw mom smirk but kept going, kicking where he could while remembering not to pull on the rope between his hands. That would just suck.

Hizashi saw the scouts in the forest and was glad mom, dad, Lee-sensei, Hatomi, Metal, and Sakura-sama had avoided them. One of every five scouts had red eyes, the kind of eyes mom had described to him, Metal, and Hatomi last night: the kind of eyes that could trick a normal Byakugan.

No one knew what the dojutsu was, only that it could make a Byakugan user see enemies where there weren't any, trap anyone in a genjutsu, and help to transfer life force. One person in the entire shinobi world had the red eyes and that was a man by the name of Ranmaru who had become a student at the Curry of Life shop Lee-sensei liked to visit when he could.

Either Ranmaru had become a busy man or someone who liked to experiment with dojutsu had implanted a bunch of enemy shinobi with Ranmaru's eyes. Hizashi was going to risk a guess on the latter. How else would people in their twenties have the same red eyes? The only alternative was Ranmaru had started getting busy at fifteen and all his kids happened to be Rain Shinobi.

Unlikely.

Hizashi cursed Kankuro-sama to Hell, not nicely and with some words mom was probably going to smack him for saying. Sure, he could go on a mission that risked his life, kill people with a giant battle axe, but Kami-forbid he say fuck.

Hizashi assumed it was the principle of the matter and being all prim and proper even though mom could cuss like the best of them when it came to it. He decided it'd be best not to mention the fact she cursed like the worst when this was over. She'd fill him with senbon and he'd be too tired to dodge.

They came to the hide-out and Hizashi kept struggling. It had caused Kankuro-sama to grab his legs in one arm and use his hair as a kind of leash to keep him steady but Hizashi didn't mind so much. He did mind the rather rough landing when Kankuro-sama tossed him to the ground ten yards from a group of Rain shinobi.

Mom silently picked off every scout near them with a well placed poisoned senbon. The scouts dropped soundless to the trees because of the damp weather and the underbrush, well, soundlessly enough the main bulk of the Rain Shinobi didn't notice.

Hizashi counted fifteen people in front of them and ten in the forest. He wasn't worried about them, Hell they had taken out more than that during last night. This morning. Whenever. He'd lost track of days.

What did concern him were the _hundred_ of Rain Shinobi in the hide-out. Even worse were the fact Hogai was missing his right hand and the bandages looked like they hadn't been changed since the unneeded amputation was made. Shigetoki was missing an eye. Maiya looked to be unharmed. Still.

Hatomi was two seconds away from leaping into battle and slaughtering everyone. One bad move from the Rain Shinobi would have her in here in that killing mode again. Hizashi could see it in her eyes and the way she held herself: completely tense and prepared to leap, right hand up higher than her left and knuckles turning white from holding Maiya's trench blade so hard in fury.

"Here, now give me my shinobi," Kankuro-sama said.

"How do we know it's him?" one of the Rain shinobi asked.

Kankuro-sama scoffed and ripped the bandana off his face. He hadn't been gentle and Hizashi had sworn he felt some hair come out with the knot.

"Asshole," Hizashi spat at Kankuro-sama who snorted at him.

He struggled against Kankuro-sama's hand when the puppeteer placed it on the top of his head so Hizashi's face turned forcefully to the Rain shinobi. Hizashi pushed against him but damn was Kankuro-sama strong. Good thing this was all staged or Hizashi would be in real trouble.

"Know anyone else with pupil-less gold eyes that get veins around them occasionally?" Kankuro-sama questioned.

The leader of the group smirked then pushed Hogai forward. He stumbled but went, guiding Shigetoki along. When Maiya made to move the Rain shinobi held her back. Hizashi inwardly gulped.

"The boy and girl will walk at the same time," the leader said.

"You think I'm going to willing go to you fuckers?" Hizashi asked.

"You will if you know what's good for you," Kankuro-sama replied.

This hadn't been part of the plan. Hizashi glared. Kankuro-sama raised an eyebrow then snorted before roughly dragging Hizashi to his feet.

"Fucking traitor! I'd fill you with senbon if I could you Kami-damned—"

Kankuro-sama smacked him in the back of the head. Hard. Damn that hurt!

"You'll walk or I'll make you wish you had," Kankuro-sama said.

Okay. Hizashi was starting to believe nothing was going according to plan. Either that or Kankuro-sama could act exceptionally well. Mom and Sakura-sama didn't look concerned but Metal was biting his lip. Hatomi's eyes were fixated on Maiya. Hizashi spotted dad and Lee-sensei hiding on the roof of the base, looking unconcerned.

Hizashi scowled as Hogai and Shigetoki stood beside Kankuro-sama. Both were pale, sweating, and shivering as if it was cold out. Shigetoki looked seconds away from passing out while Hogai had a vacant look on his face, as if he'd seen Hell and didn't like it.

"One question before we let the girl go," the Rain Shinobi said.

"Why am I doing this?" Kankuro-sama asked.

The leader nodded. Kankuro smirked. Hizashi waited and wished the stupid bird call would come now. It wouldn't till Maiya was safely beside Kankuro-sama.

"She happens to be Gaara's daughter," Kankuro-sama said.

Hizashi stared back at him in wonder. He looked to Maiya who was gaping with the Rain Shinobi. One Rain Shinobi laughed which started the others chuckling but Kankuro-sama merely grinned. The least he could've done was lie _better_.

"Sea-green eyes, red hair, and the ability to manipulate wind. What other family in Suna do you know who can manipulate wind who happen to look like her?"

These words shut up the Rain Shinobi and Hizashi studied Maiya. Okay. She was fourteen to Gaara-sama's thirty. No way Gaara-sama had a daughter...

"Interesting," the leader said.

Hizashi wanted to laugh but kept it down. Kankuro-sama gave him a shove and Hizashi stumbled forward without meaning to. He shot Kankuro-sama a glare before taking another step forward. Maiya was released and shoved like he had been but she didn't catch her fall so well. She was dragged up by significantly shorter hair and pushed again.

Maiya caught her balance the second time and walked forward. Hizashi kept moving and eventually they came to the point where they passed. The whistle didn't come. Hizashi watched his family but no one moved to help. Dad didn't shift his lips to whistle and Hizashi was getting closer to the enemy. The Hell?

Hizashi had to trust in his father. Not enough of the scouts had been taken out that Maiya would survive alone in the middle of a field. She had to be near Kankuro-sama so he could protect her which meant either Hizashi had to slow down or he would be in the thicket of enemies before too long.

"Hurry it up kid," the leader said.

"Fuck you," Hizashi spat out and stopped.

Maiya picked up her pace. She was four yards from Kankuro-sama. He was four and a half from the Rain shinobi. It was a decent distant to work with when he had easy access to his scrolls but the rope might take a few seconds to fall off which meant he wouldn't have time to work with the distance as well as he wanted.

"I'll drag you over if I have to," the leader said.

"Then start moving cock-sucker," Hizashi said.

Mom was trying not to laugh. Dad rolled his eyes but Lee-sensei looked horrified as did Metal. Sakura-sama had an amused grin on her face while Hatomi, yeah, best no to look at his sister. The Leader smirked.

"Oh there will be cock-sucking. I won't be the one doing it though,"

Hizashi saw Hogai and Shigetoki shiver. Hizashi scowled. He hadn't needed to know that. Kami damn all the stupid Rain shinobi to the worst pits of Hell. Oh, and Orochimaru. Hizashi would fill the snake-bastard with senbon the moment he set foot in Konoha.

Maiya was in the safe zone, two yards away from Kankuro and Hizashi saw dad shifting forward, lips pursing to start the signal. Hizashi tightened his grip on the rope in his hands and got ready to jump back.

"The girl's lips felt so good around my—"

This was as far as the leader got. One moment he was gloating and the next he was struggling to keep the blood in his body as Hatomi had come flying out of the bushes and tore the leader a new mouth with a roar of fury Hizashi had _never_ heard coming from his sister. Hell, he didn't even know she could be so loud.

He pulled the rope as everyone else came in. Originally mom would've littered the area with weapons as Hizashi got free while everyone else attacked. Hatomi had thrown that plan to the wind but it didn't look like it mattered.

The leader was dead and the ones around were being hit by either Hatomi's blade or her Lion Fist. Neither produced good results for the enemy shinobi and it was made worse when dad, Lee-sensei, and mom joined the fray. Metal was too stunned to move and Kankuro-sama had summoned a huge ass puppet to protect the other three in.

Scouts began attacking but the ropes had fallen away by this time and Hizashi unleashed his weapons into the fray. More shinobi came from the base and Hizashi saw mom toss a bomb towards the door. It exploded with ferocity and made the front of the building collapse.

That wasn't good either.

"Fall back," dad said.

Hizashi didn't have to be told twice as the building went up in flames. Shinobi came pouring out of the place and Hizashi turned to run. He stopped because Hatomi _hadn't_ listened and still tore her way through any enemy standing.

Dad grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back. She lashed out at him but dad was faster, hitting one of her tenketsu and knocking her out cold. Hizashi tossed back some of his bombs then followed the group.

Mom threw back smoke bombs mixed with sleeping agents and half the enemy fell. The ones who made it wouldn't be able to catch up, not against the Green Beast Teams. Hell, Kankuro-sama, his giant puppet, and Sakura-sama were having issues keeping with them as they took off for the cover of the woods.

Eventually the Rain shinobi faded out of his vision field but dad didn't stop running. None of them stopped until they reached the border between Rain and Suna where Gaara-sama stood with an army of Suna shinobi. Hizashi couldn't help but collapse to the desert sand in front of the group and thankfully (for once in his life) deactivated his Byakugan.

"We got 'em," Kankuro-sama said.

Gaara-sama nodded. Hizashi would blame his exhaustion on his actions. He was pretty sure no one would mind.

"Is Maiya really your daughter?" Hizashi asked.

Gaara-sama blinked his green eyes and stared at him. A few Suna shinobi started snickering while Kankuro-sama rolled his eyes. Hizashi yelped when mom smacked him upside the head. Dad pinched the bridge of his nose and still held a disgruntled Hatomi who had woken up at some point.

"No," Gaara-sama said.

Hizashi stared up at Kankuro-sama who smirked at him then gratefully got in the giant puppet with Hogai, Shigetoki, and Maiya. Hatomi was tossed in, none to nicely by father, and Metal came willingly before the puppet was partially closed again. It began moving and Hizashi leaned against the inner wall.

He said nothing as Hatomi shifted until she could hug Maiya and Maiya hugged back, looking more stunned than anything else. Hatomi said something in Maiya's ear and Maiya smiled, closing her eyes and nuzzling into Hatomi's neck. Hizashi snorted and decided it was best to close his eyes. At least he could nap without worrying now.

* * *

She smelled of sweat, blood, smoke, and filth but Hatomi did not care. She held Maiya as close as she could, until there would be not even a hair's breathe between their bodies and pressed her lips near Maiya's ear.

"I want you," Hatomi whispered.

She felt Maiya's arms clasp tighter around her and Maiya's face nuzzle into the side of her neck. Apparently Maiya did not care Hatomi was covered in blood, caked in sweat, and had not bathed properly in a week. Hatomi did not care her brother, the boy whose heart she had crushed, and Maiya's teammates were in the puppet with them watching.

Maiya had all her limbs attached and was alive.

The simple fact was all that mattered. Hatomi did not even care she had disobeyed father twice during the course of the mission. She did not care she may have gotten herself killed by running in the way she had. She did not even care where exactly they were going.

Maiya was alive.

They parted but not until night had come down upon them. Even so, Hatomi said beside Maiya, holding her hand after giving her the trench knife. Maiya had thanked her with a quick peck on the cheek. None of the boys watched, all either feigning sleep or sleeping. Metal kept his gaze outside. The puppet stopped and Hatomi sensed father coming towards it.

"Hatomi," father said.

Hatomi frowned but left Maiya's side. Maiya gave her hand a squeeze before they parted and Hatomi kept the smile off her face as father was staring at her, white eyes gone silver in the night but not in a pretty way. Father knew how to tilt his head properly to cast a sinister look to his eyes and over his face. He did this now.

Hatomi left the puppet and saw mother had set up camp with the Suna shinobi. Hatomi's stomach growled for the first time in what felt like centuries upon smelling mother's stew. Father led her to the outskirts of the camp before turning on her so swiftly she took half a step back and raised her hands into defensive position.

"What are rules four and fifteen?" father asked her.

Hatomi took a breath as she lowered her hands. She deserved this. She also had a feeling father would have done the same if in her position.

"A shinobi must always put their mission first and a shinobi must follow their commander's instructions," Hatomi said.

"Hn, did you do that?"

"No, but would you have if you were in my position?"

Hatomi met father's silver eyes and he glared down at her. Hatomi did not back away.

"I was _seconds_ away from giving the signal. Your brother would have taken out the shinobi in front of the base, the rest of us would have taken down the scouts, you would have left with Sakura and Kankuro to come back here while the rest of us would have investigated how in the Hell so many Rain shinobi got a hold of Ranmaru's eyes or if Ranmaru is even still alive. _None_ of that happened. Yes, you got to save Maiya but now we have an immense situation on our hands which you effectively stopped from being further investigated,"

Father kept staring down at her and Hatomi swallowed back tears. He was right no matter how much she hated admitting it. She met his eyes and saw something she never thought she would see in his gaze: disappointment. Hatomi lowered her eyes and bit her tongue to stop the tears from flowing.

"Now the Rain shinobi will leave that base and we have no idea where they will end up going. I will dispatch Lee and Metal to see if the Curry of Life restaurant is unmolested but somehow I doubt it will be standing if Ranmaru was taken by force. If he was not then we have an entirely different issue to assess which we could have known sooner if we had been allowed entrance into the base as planned. Do you have anything to add?"

Hatomi had to take another breath to steady her emotions. Kami, she had done horribly. She had no idea what her punishment would even be. They would take her off the active roster for a while, perhaps even demote her.

She would have done it all again if it meant saving Maiya.

"No commander," Hatomi said.

"Hn, dismissed,"

Hatomi did not look at her father as she turned on her heel and headed back to the puppet. Hizashi watched her enter, staring through his lashes, but he said nothing. Hatomi settled beside Maiya again but kept quiet even when Maiya asked what happened. Maiya did not press and eventually mother came around with bowls of food.

Mother left without a word and Hatomi loathed the awkwardness she had caused. She did not feel like eating but she ate anyway, knowing her body needed the nourishment after such an excursion. Hizashi, Maiya's teammates, Metal, and Maiya finished before her but Hatomi said nothing. Hizashi sighed as he placed his bowl beside him on the floor of the puppet.

"Well this'll be awkward," Hizashi muttered.

"Hn,"

Hizashi shrugged at her annoyance. He ran a hand through his hair and she saw him wince at how greasy it had become. Kami, if her twin was worried about his hair then they had to be in a rather messy state. Hatomi decided it best not to look at her clothing. Hizashi met her eyes and saw frustration there.

"I mean, I get it, but dad was—"

"I know,"

"Oh good,"

He ignored her snarl. Hatomi huffed and shoved her empty bowl towards him. He took it with a shrug before gathering everyone's bowls and leaving the puppet. Metal followed behind him without a word. Hatomi let out a long breath before leaning on Maiya's shoulder.

"Sorry?" Maiya tried.

"Hn," Hatomi said.

Maiya wrapped an arm around her waist and Hatomi leaned into the gentle touch. Maiya would be told about the failed plan eventually. Hatomi did not know what would happen then and focused instead on the moment. It was better this way.

* * *

Tenten sighed happily as she sunk into the warm water of the immense bathtub. They were staying in Gaara's home for a few days to properly rest before heading back to Konoha and Tenten planned to take every advantage of meals she didn't have to cook, warm water, and a soft bed. Maybe the rest would stop Neji from being so disappointed in his Princess.

Tenten didn't blame Hatomi in her actions. Tenten would've done the same if it was Neji who had been captured then heard it revealed he'd been forced to suck some stranger's cock. Maybe Hatomi was more like her than people thought. Either way, Neji was not impressed with the situation. Anyone could tell by the way he pointedly ignored Hatomi on the way to Suna or when he did need to speak to her it was in a monotone reserved for people who did not meet his standard.

Hatomi made it her mission to stay away from her father, hanging beside Maiya so the two girls could hold hands when they could. Gaara noticed it right away and stared for a few moments before smiling softly then turning away. Kankuro had snorted as if it explained everything while Sakura raised an eyebrow.

Tenten didn't know how to feel about Hatomi's indiscretion, not completely anyway. Was she let down by her daughter? Yeah since Hatomi had messed up the information gathering section of the mission. Hatomi had (for once) broken out of her Hyuuga shell and done something no one had expected. Normally calm and cool, she'd snapped and went on a killing spree because of a comment.

Still, Tenten understood. Hatomi had wanted to save someone she cared about deeply and hearing that comment come from an enemy, well, Tenten didn't blame her. Hell, Neji would've done the same even if he didn't want to admit it out loud.

This meant Hatomi _really liked_ Maiya more than anyone had anticipated. Apparently one kiss could do it. Tenten didn't know what to feel about this either. Hatomi was too young to be in the kind of serious relationship it looked like she wanted but Hatomi would argue with sound logic she had killed and was paid to kill.

Tenten sighed and ducked under the warm water to soak for a moment. When she came back up, Neji was in the bathroom and she stared. He was naked and she took a moment to appreciate his body before meeting his eyes.

To anyone who didn't know him as well as she did he looked normal. To her, he was upset, miserable, and exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. Tenten gestured for him to hurry up and he didn't even smile before lowering his body into the tub with hers but at the opposite end.

"She pulled a me," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

"And you know you would've done the same no matter what you told her,"

"Hn,"

"So?"

Tenten waited as he sighed and shrugged. She shifted until she knelt between his legs so she could kiss his lips. He melted into the kiss but did not raise his hands to hold her even when she clenched his shoulders in hers.

"I know you're disappointed in her but she's been on edge an entire month. This last week and a half has been especially hard and she doesn't have the experience under her obi like you or me. She's not perfect,"

Neji inclined his head then wrapped his arms around her waist. He leaned his head on her shoulder and she felt him inhale before he nuzzled into her neck. She rubbed his back and he sighed.

"I know. But she will still be punished for it as Naruto sees fit and I will agree with whatever punishment he gives her. It was a shock to see her react as she did. I did not think she was capable of being so, so,"

"Brutal?"

"Hn,"

"I made a man explode into pieces so small you couldn't even see them when he tried to kill you,"

She grinned when Neji chuckled at her. She kissed the side of his head and he hummed.

"And I did it with one word which made it rain blood for a good minute or two,"

He hummed before shifting so he could kiss her lips. Tenten didn't mind. When he drew back he had a light smile on his face.

"She is more like you than we thought," Neji said.

"She's a bit of both of us, mostly you but with my feminist ideals and tendency to slaughter things trying to hurt or kill the person I love," Tenten said.

Neji winced and Tenten let out a breath. It probably hadn't been a good idea to remind him _why_ Hatomi had reacted the way she had.

"You know she really likes Maiya. I mean she did mess up a mission and slaughter at least a dozen shinobi for the girl," Tenten said.

"Hn, but it seems, not odd, but, unexpected. She had an immense crush on Metal then one kiss made her re-evaluate everything," Neji said.

"I thought you were a girl and was totally cool with that," Tenten reminded him.

He snorted then nodded. She kissed his cheek and he smiled at her, softly.

"So, gunna give your daughter a hug tomorrow?"

"Hn,"

His agreement sound complete with a nod. Good. Everything would go back to some kind of normal and Tenten grinned. She loved when she could out-logic her husband.

* * *

Hatomi could not stop smiling, softly of course, but even so she could not help her glad mood. Father had forgiven her this morning with a Lee-sensei like hug she had not thought him possible of. Better still, she had been allowed to go stay with Maiya for the rest of their time in Suna. Mother had even gotten all the blood out of her clothing and even Hizashi seemed at peace with how everything had gone.

"Look at the knockers on that one,"

Hatomi's bubbly mood went to simmer as she strode past a few Suna civilians on her way to Maiya's house. Civilians, males, and teenagers to be more specific and Hatomi decided it best to ignore them. They thought it best to follow her.

"Nice ass too,"

"And all that hair,"

"Did you see her eyes?"

"Definitely not a native. She's so exotic looking,"

Hatomi had not realized men would take notice of her other features or some were capable of getting past her breasts. She did not consider her looks to be exotic but in a place where everyone wore their hair short or bound up, her long locks did draw attention.

"Konoha shinobi, I saw the hitai-ate,"

"Too bad,"

"I know,"

Hatomi activated her dojutsu to see the teens had stopped following her but looked after her with longing in their eyes. Hatomi turned down a corner and deactivated her Byakugan. The smile came back to her face at the unexpected comments and stayed there as she found Maiya's apartment complex.

Hatomi mentally prepared her introduction to Maiya's parents as she took the stairs up to the second level then found the right door. She held her head high as she knocked. Hatomi deflated when Maiya answered.

"Come on in," Maiya said.

Hatomi followed Maiya into the apartment and went over her introduction again as she expected Maiya's parents to be in the sitting room. Hatomi blinked.

The sitting room was small, six yards by eight yards, and home to an old looking couch, an arm chair which had seen better times, a scared table, and a television that was at least a decade old. A bookshelf filled up the back wall and there was a small window.

Hatomi took in the kitchen to her right to see it was as small as the sitting room, smaller even with hardly enough room to fit the oven, refrigerator, sinks, and a table for two. Pots had been hung from the ceiling on a metal rack as there was a single set of cupboards along the wall and a few under and near the sink, certainly not enough to hold everything a kitchen would need for a family of even two. A hallway led to the rest of the place but Hatomi had a feeling it would not be a long hallway. She could see the frame for a room from here.

"You okay?" Maiya questioned.

Hatomi cleared her throat then noticed there were no pictures on the walls. Never mind there were two puny windows in the space. The apartment was clean but not the kind of clean mother kept the house in a state of. It likely did not help the walls needed a fresh coat of paint and the wooden floors were a bit warped and should be replaced.

"It's not much but it's home," Maiya said.

They had not spoken about Maiya's home life at all in the time they had gotten to know each other. Hatomi felt like a fool. It was obvious by the shoes on the rack by the door Maiya lived alone which meant she had no parents. And here Hatomi was judging Maiya's home when it was likely the single place she could afford on a genin (now chunin) salary.

"Did it just hit you I don't have parents?"

Hatomi nodded. Maiya shrugged but had a smile on her face.

"It's okay. We didn't talk much about it when I was in Konoha. My mom died last year on a mission, my dad five years ago because of a sandstorm when he was crossing the desert. He was a silk merchant. We had to sell the business after he died because mom couldn't keep up with it and didn't know the first think about selling silk,"

Hatomi hugged her and Maiya gasped before giggling then hugging back. Hatomi had no idea the pain Maiya suffered and here Hatomi was thinking father ignoring her for a few days had been the end of the world. To not have father around anymore...

"I apologize,"

"For what? You didn't know and I didn't offer. I guess I should've but I didn't want you to feel bad for me when I was practically living with you guys. Besides, it felt nice hanging out with your family,"

Hatomi smiled as they parted from the hug. Maiya took her hand and they went down the hallway. At the end was a closet for Maiya's cleaning supplies and washing machine. The room Hatomi had seen was a bathroom that did not have a tub but came with a stand up shower and a single sink. Maiya's bedroom was smaller than Hatomi's and again there was a tiny window.

"I know it's not as big as your room," Maiya said.

The bed was a double and Maiya had a small closet with one long dresser and a tall dresser. There was a desk shoved under the window and not a lot of room to walk around in. Hatomi looked to Maiya who had a flush on her cheeks then shook her head.

"It is fine," Hatomi said.

"Yeah but you'll probably feel all squished or something," Maiya muttered.

Hatomi chuckled and shook her head. She placed her bag a top Maiya's dresser before facing the other girl.

"It means we can be closer for longer," Hatomi said.

Maiya laughed but hugged her and Hatomi discovered she enjoyed Maiya's hugs. She liked feeling the warmth of Maiya's flesh and the tightness of the arms around her waist. They parted again but Maiya kept a hold of her hand.

"So, want to go chill on the couch?"

"Hn,"

Hatomi followed Maiya back into the sitting room and they made a nest of sorts on the couch complete with drinks, popcorn, and a few movies Hatomi had wanted to see but had not gotten the chance to. She happily ate Maiya's cooking at six then checked in with father at nine. By this time they were both exhausted so retired back to Maiya's room.

Hatomi took off her hitai-ate first, glad mother had the foresight to pack a pair of Hatomi's pyjamas before they left Konoha. Hatomi pulled off her obi next then began unbuttoning her shirt as Maiya looked through her drawers for something. Hatomi took her shirt off.

"I don't know if this'll, woah,"

Maiya had turned and dropped what looked like pyjamas onto the floor. Hatomi folded her shirt neatly before taking her pyjamas out of her bag. Maiya still gaped, eyes focused on Hatomi's chest. Hatomi raised an eyebrow as Maiya shook her head as if clearing it.

"Obviously you're not used to the fact that in a room with a girl who likes girls you probably shouldn't be so comfortable getting naked," Maiya said.

Hatomi stared at her for a moment then felt heat coming to her cheeks. Ah. Maiya had a good point. Then again Metal had seen her topless and in tight spandex while she had a crush on him so she did not see the issue. She took her tights off.

"Ah, wow," Maiya said.

Her cheeks had gone pink. Hatomi folded her tights and placed them atop her folded shirt before staring at Maiya. After a brief staring contest, Hatomi reached around to unhook her bra.

"Woah, hold on a second," Maiya said complete with hand wave and an entirely red face.

"Hn, we are both women. You have seen breasts," Hatomi said.

"But we're dating!"

"And?"

"Er, aren't we supposed to be more, I don't know, shy about being naked in front of each other so soon?"

"Why?"

"Um, huh. Maybe because it's proper and all that?"

"You came with me to the hot springs,"

Hatomi smirked when Maiya gaped at her. Hatomi unhooked her bra and folded it before placing it with the rest of her clothing. Maiya kept staring but Hatomi did not bother to cover up. She said nothing when Maiya came up to her, standing a mere few inches away with her eyes still staring at Hatomi's breasts.

"This is _so_ different from the hot springs," Maiya said.

"Hn?"

"Yep. I can ask you if I can touch. Can I touch?"

Hatomi considered. It was not as if Maiya could get her pregnant. They had almost lost each other once before even starting this relationship. Besides, how often would they be allowed to be physically near the other? They were both old enough to kill people legally and had killed. They were mature beyond their years.

"Yes," Hatomi said.

Maiya lifted her hands then gently cradled Hatomi's breasts, one in each palm. Hatomi bit her lip at the contact as she began to feel oddly warm below her waist. Maiya lifted Hatomi's breasts up a bit then let them drop. Hatomi raised an eyebrow at her.

"They're so bouncy," Maiya said.  
Hatomi kept her laugh back as Maiya kept bouncing Hatomi's breasts. Maiya met her eyes then squeezed lightly. Hatomi let out an involuntary groan and felt heat spread across her cheeks as her groin began to tingle. Interesting.

"It is a bit unfair you are still clothed," Hatomi said.

Maiya remedied the situation in less than a minute then blushed when she realized she wore nothing but a pair of panties in front of Hatomi. Maiya tried to cover her less ample chest but Hatomi took up Maiya's breasts before Maiya could cover them.

"I know, they're so small compared to yours," Maiya said.

"Who said I enjoy my breasts?"

"I enjoy them,"

"Hn, try running with them,"  
"Ouch, point taken. Still, mine are tiny,"  
"They are a comfortable handful. I like it,"

Hatomi smiled when Maiya grinned. She almost fell over when Maiya kissed her. Maiya's hands wrapped around Hatomi's bare waist and Hatomi wrapped her arms around Maiya's body, one hand going to her lower spine while the other went to a shoulder. The tingling sensation in her groin increased and became more of a throbbing. She felt dampness she was unaccustomed to feeling but did not concern herself with it.

She had read all about the signs of arousal in women thanks to the book mother and father had lent Hizashi. Wetness, throbbing, tingling, all of it was part of being sexually interested in what was happening. Maiya's hands ran along the waist band of Hatomi's panties as their lips kept moving. Maiya pulled back before Hatomi was ready and took two large steps back.

"We should stop," Maiya said.

"Why?" Hatomi asked.

Her head felt wonderfully fuzzy and she wanted Maiya to hold her again, to kiss her, to feel the warm flesh of her almost naked body against hers.

"Because it's, well, I mean. We _just_ became a couple and it's weird. Plus I keep thinking of those guys and, well," Maiya tried.

Fury rose in Hatomi but she pushed it down. She had killed at least one man who had forced Maiya into doing sexual acts. Hatomi pulled on her pyjama shirt and shorts then let out a breath. Maiya looked moments away from crying but Hatomi smiled.

"I understand and I apologize. I had not considered the situation. We can cuddle with clothes on in bed if you like or I could sleep on the couch," Hatomi said.

Maiya gaped then grinned. She tugged on her pyjamas then jumped into bed. She patted the empty spot beside her and Hatomi chuckled before getting into bed beside Maiya.

"Like I'd make you sleep on the couch," Maiya said.

"Hn,"

Hatomi wrapped Maiya into a hug and Maiya returned it with a smile. Hatomi giggled when Maiya had to leave the bed to turn off the overhead light then snickered when they had to fiddle with the covers in the dark. Finally they lay in each other's arms under the covers, faces so close that their noses brushed.

"Can I brush your hair in the morning?" Maiya asked.

"Of course," Hatomi answered.

Maiya laughed happily before kissing the tip of Hatomi's nose. Hatomi smiled and snuggled in closer to Maiya. Despite everything, Hatomi's first S-Rank mission had not gone too horribly wrong.

* * *

Okay, so maybe they're acting way older than they should be but like Hatomi thinks: they're trained killers. You've got to have a certain maturity about you to do that.

Tenten's line of "I made a man explode..." and "I thought you were a girl..." can be further explained in "Twenty Truths about Team Guy" in Tenten's chapter. *winks* Apparently I'm in that universe for a few things as I keep slyly referencing back to it.

Reviews welcome.


	38. Secrets

**Secrets**

 **Author's Notes:** Ah, sorry I keep taking so long to update. I'm really into writing one of my original fiction pieces right now and it's pretty much taking all my time before work. I won't leave this hanging. I promise. I just have a sucky memory when it comes to updating. Sorry. *pouts*

So, what happened with Ranmaru? What's up with Orochimaru? Y'all will find out. And no, I don't know how a one-shot (chapter one) bondage sex scene became a full length novel with plot. I'm just rolling with it cuz this is what happens when I write for the Hell of it.

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs, lesbians, bondage sex, swearing, killing, gore, blood, and violence...woah.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Hizashi stood outside the door to Naruto-sama's office as mom, dad, Sakura-sama, Naruto-sama, and Shikamaru-sama had a yelling match. Someone had put a jutsu on the door to keep it quieter but even so Hizashi could catch a word or two.

Hatomi stood beside him with her shoulders tense but no expression on her face. Her eyes were worried, happy, and best of all: alive. She was back to being her and Hizashi was glad for it. This was probably why he stood close enough to feel the brush of her arm against his. She wasn't complaining and didn't back away.

Lee-sensei and Metal were not with them. After a day resting in Suna they took off towards the Curry of Life shop Lee-sensei hadn't visited in the past year what with the chunin exam training, important birthdays and all. It wasn't a mission, a personal visit defined it better but even so, Naruto-sama had not been impressed upon hearing it.

The Hokage had quickly told Hatomi she was not allowed to take any missions for two months for disobeying Neji then booted him and Hatomi out of the room, especially when dad mentioned his thoughts about who had helped the Rain shinobi gain Ranmaru's power. The last bit of conversation Hizashi had heard before leaving was something about Orochimaru being a changed man coming from Naruto-sama and dad calling him blind.

"So, how'd the sleep overs go?" Hizashi asked.

Filling the almost silence had to be better then listening to the few choice words he could hear. Hatomi hummed at him but a flush had come to her cheeks. Hizashi blinked and was about to ask what was wrong about a sleep over then remembered Maiya wasn't a friend to Hatomi. This meant the two girls might have _felt_ each other.

Hizashi kicked himself mentally and ignored the heat in his cheeks. Of course he'd remedy tense silence by making it awkward. Worse yet he was picturing Maiya naked. The imagery stopped when he thought of Hatomi touching naked Maiya which also killed any libido that had started.

"Pretend I asked something way less awkward," Hizashi said.

"Hn, Suna weather is much too hot," Hatomi commented.

Hizashi nodded, grasping onto the safe topic like a lifeline.

"Yeah, now I see why everyone keeps their hair short but how Kankuro-sama can stand being in all black there is nuts," Hizashi said.

Hatomi hummed at him but didn't make another comment. Trust his sometimes anti-social sister to stop a conversation. Oh well, Hizashi would have to deal.

"Did you see the camels? Someone asked if I wanted to ride one but that would've been weird, right? But they had some pretty awesome weapons there and I wish I would've thought to bring some ryo with me cuz there was this one set of trench knives that looked really cool. I could've added them to my B set scrolls for throwing initially then attached strings to catch them and learn to use them properly, you know? And I saw a really awesome katana that would've been great for my F set scrolls.

"Speaking of, I wonder what Shinobu's up to? He probably thinks I'm ignoring him cuz I haven't talked to him in like two weeks but I left my cell here. It's probably dead cuz it wasn't on its charger. You didn't bring your cell did you? I mean, are we supposed to on this kind of thing? I'd think not cuz getting a text message in the middle of a battle would be really messed up. Not everyone's going to give a shinobi a minute to answer a message, right?"

Hatomi raised her eyebrow at him but a smile came to her face. She started giggling and Hizashi grinned before rubbing the back of his head. Okay, so he'd started rambling. At least the awkwardness was gone and even the tension had left. All the stressful silence came back when the doors slammed open and dad came striding through them.

Dad's eyes were narrowed, his eyebrows knotted together, and the snarl on his face could've killed puppies. Mom's look wasn't much better and they both began walking, no, this was their "I'm going to kill something" stalk. They headed for the stairs. Shikamaru-sama, lit cigarette hanging from his mouth, followed after them at a brisk jog until catching up with them three yards away.

"Do we follow?" Hizashi whispered to his sister.

"Hn,"

It was her unsure sound which was never a good sign. Hizashi stared at the three adults as dad whirled on Shikamaru-sama who raised his hands in a half-assed pacifying gesture.

"What is it Nara?" dad asked.

Uh-oh. Dad was referring to a good friend by his family name. This wasn't ever a good sign. Hizashi didn't mind playing invisible against the wall. Maybe if he concentrated hard enough he would become invisible which would help him nicely avoid the walk home with his two enraged parents.

"You know Naruto has to take everything into consideration," Shikamaru-sama said.

"What is there to further consider? Who else do we know in this world who has experience transplanting eyes so effortlessly and duplicating them besides Orochimaru or Kabuto? We have Shin captured and in Ibiki's hands. We know Orochimaru took on no other apprentices unless he lied about it. So why is it such a stretch to consider Orochimaru helped the Rain shinobi transplant Ranmaru's eyes into other shinobi? Give me a name, Nara, of someone else who would do the same," dad said.

Yeah, this wasn't a good conversation. Hizashi shifted his arm against Hatomi's and she looked up at him. He gestured towards the room behind them with a brief twitch of his head and she nodded.

"Sending Lee off—"

"I did not send him off. I suggested he visit his favorite restaurant on the way back to Konoha, one he hasn't been to in a year since he had been on a strenuous mission,"

Dad had the best logic. Hizashi ducked into the room with Hatomi and they came face to face with three genin and their wide-eyed jonin in charge. He didn't recognize the genin but did know there had been another graduating class right behind his. Hizashi forced a grin on his face.

"Hey-ya folks, we're just gunna use the window behind you," Hizashi said.

They nodded. He opened the window as dad started yelling at Shikamaru-sama about never forgetting their training and trusting their instincts. Hatomi jumped out the window first but Hizashi wasn't far behind. They hit a roof top at the same time then took off running towards home. Maybe they could get Shi, Shun, and Yusa-sama out of the house for lunch or something before mom and dad made it home.

Shun especially didn't need to see the raging look on mom and dad's faces. They would give him nightmares which his little brother definitely did not need on top of being the civilian in the house with a Caged Bird Seal. They made it home in what Hizashi knew was record time and he opened the door to see Yusa-sama getting ready to prepare lunch while Shun and Shi had started setting the table.

"Oh, you're—" Yusa-sama started.

"Home, yeah, but it's, um, complicated. Lee-sensei and Metal went to go visit one of their favorite restaurants on the way back to check on a certain red-eyed friend," Hizashi said.

He hoped Yusa-sama picked up on his strange code despite his wildly waving hands. Hatomi nodded when Yusa-sama looked at her and she considered. An eyebrow raised and a small frown came to her face. Shi and Shun looked utterly confused.

"Hm, Shi, Shun, why don't we go to Ichiraku's for ramen?" Yusa-sama asked.

Oh she was good. It probably came from living with Lee-sensei for so long and listening him ramble on about youth. A person could pick up a lot from living with a shinobi like Lee-sensei.

"But mom and dad are home. I wanna give them a hug," Shun said.

"Yeah," Shi said.

"Guys, seriously, just head out for a few hours, okay? Mom and dad aren't in the greatest of moods and you don't wanna see them right now," Hizashi said.

There was nothing better than the truth when it came to his brothers. Yusa-sama began turning off burners but set everything near the stove so if someone wanted to cook lunch they could. Shi scowled and Shun pouted.

"As bad as the incident?" Shi questioned.

His eyes flicked to Shun briefly but Shun didn't notice. Hizashi hated Shun hadn't noticed the obvious motion.

"Worse. Do not mention this conversation when you return," Hatomi said.

Shi winced then nodded. He grabbed Shun by the wrist and began leading him to the door. Yusa-sama thanked them both then walked out with Shi and Shun. Hizashi let out a breath then headed for the stove. He and Hatomi set their bags by the laundry room to sort through later before beginning on lunch.

Five minutes later, the door opened and Hizashi felt the malicious chakra enter. He turned to see mom and dad stride into the house. Mom headed straight for the yard, pulling open the patio doors so hard they slammed in their tracks and the glass shuddered but didn't break. Dad stood in the hallway between sitting room and kitchen, staring at them with an infuriated expression on his face.

"Lunch?" Hizashi offered.

Dad blinked. White eyes shifted to look around the house for a moment but they landed back on him and Hatomi. Hatomi cooked stiffly while Hizashi found he wanted to bolt. He couldn't run out the kitchen window. The darn window was above the sink and it would be a weird move to get through it especially since it was closed.

"Hn,"

Dad's angry but (slowly) coming down from it sound. Dad tossed his bag towards the laundry room then turned on his heel and headed towards the yard where the steady and rapid thunk, thunk, thunk of weapons hitting targets came from. He kept the patio doors open and headed towards where mom would be. Hizashi couldn't see either of them well because the blinds were half-closed and the half walls of the patio didn't help.

"That went better than expected," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

Hatomi's agreement sound complete with a relieved sagging of her shoulders. They finished cooking lunch and set the table for four. Mom and dad came back as Hizashi was helping Hatomi load up plates. Both looked way calmer than before and Hizashi couldn't help feeling grateful.

"Where are your brothers?" mom asked.

"Yusa-sama took them to Ichiraku's for a treat," Hizashi said.

He pointed to the note Hatomi had made at some point which mimicked Yusa-sama's writing perfectly. Mom nodded and the meal went by nicely. As they cleaned up, the door opened and Shun gasped. He ran towards them then hugged mom around the waist.

She stumbled forward a bit from the surprising force of it but smiled before patting Shun on the head. Shi hugged dad briefly then moved onto Hizashi and Hatomi while Shun kept snuggling into mom's back.

"Lee-sensei's visiting the Curry of Life shop with Metal," Hatomi said as Yusa-sama came towards the group.

Yusa-sama smiled softly at the news but Hatomi could see the worry in her eyes. Shun moved onto hugging dad who smiled down at him softly.

"Good for them. It's been so long since they have been there," Yusa-sama said.

"Yeah," mom said.

General questions were asked about what happened when they were gone and soon Yusa-sama was heading back out the door to check on her own home. She declined the offer of staying with them for another few days but mom didn't look like she minded too much.

"Shi, shall we train for a bit to see how far you have come without my presence?" father asked.

"Of course," Shi said.

"Shun, why don't you play with Miruku on the patio?" Mom suggested.

This couldn't be good. Shun noticed as did Shi but neither argued as they headed towards the open patio doors with dad. Hizashi finished putting away the last plate and waited for mom to start talking. She let out a puff of air and fixed her side-sweeping bangs.

"Naruto doesn't think Orochimaru is part of this," mom said.

"We gathered," Hatomi remarked.

Mom snorted but a smile had come onto her face. Hizashi tried not to laugh as Hatomi raised an eyebrow.

"Anyway, he's unwilling to send another group out till Lee comes back. Your dad suggested sending Lee some back up but Naruto flat out refused since it's not an official mission. They'll be okay, I'm sure," mom said.

Hizashi had to believe in mom's words. Besides, how would the Rain shinobi even know Lee-sensei and Metal were going to the Curry of Life restaurant? The place wasn't even near Rain's boarders where the shop sat in the Land of Rivers. Mom knew the most about Green Beasts so she had to be right.

* * *

Mother had not been correct. Lee-sensei and Metal had been gone for over a week, more than long enough to have gotten to the Curry of Life restaurant and return. Naruto-sama had broken down yesterday and sent out a group of shinobi consisting of father, Kiba-sama, Sakura-sama, and Sasuke which was why Sarada sat on Hatomi's bed with her on this night.

Sarada did not sit relaxed on Hatomi's bed nor did she wear her regular pyjamas. No, Sarada wore long pants with a long-sleeved shirt both so baggy she looked like a child in them and sat so stiffly Hatomi could not help being impressed. Sarada also sat much further away from Hatomi than normal. Hatomi sat near the pillows while Sarada sat at the foot of the bed, almost falling off. A cot had been set up on the floor for them but normally Sarada did not mind sharing Hatomi's Queen-sized bed since they were friends, practically sisters.

"I will not molest you while we sit here nor while we sleep. You are like my sister, not a potential lover," Hatomi said.

Sarada blinked at her from behind her glasses then started flushing. Her fingers twined into her shirt sleeves as Hatomi watched.

"Oh," Sarada said.

The sound did not give Hatomi much to go on but Sarada's body language spoke volumes. Hatomi let out a breath and understood her friend's nervousness. Sarada did not know how to react around Hatomi anymore. It had been evident all week especially since Sarada used the excuse of training to avoid Hatomi.

"Honestly, I am not attracted to you in that way. I believe for some reason it is only Maiya who attracts me as such," Hatomi said.

"Really?" Sarada questioned while blinking rapidly.

"Hn,"

Sarada chuckled at the sound and Hatomi saw her shoulders relax marginally. At least now Sarada did not look ready to bolt. Hatomi considered this a success.

"So, what exactly attracts you to Maiya if you don't mind me asking," Sarada said.

Hatomi considered for a moment. What had brought her to like Maiya as a potential mate?

"Her fighting skills, the way she stands up for herself, her morals, and her humor," Hatomi said.

Sarada grinned then started giggling. Hatomi did not understand what Sarada found so funny.

"So, the same things that made you crush on Metal?" Sarada asked.

Hatomi opened her mouth to protest but stopped. Sarada made a good point. Hatomi had enjoyed the fact Metal could stand against her, the way he stood up for his beliefs (and for her), and how he could make her smile.

"Apparently," Hatomi said.

Sarada kept laughing. Hatomi grinned softly as Sarada got a hold of her fit.

"So, the physical qualities don't matter so long as they can fight well enough against you, stand up for what they believe in and can make you laugh?" Sarada enquired.

Hatomi nodded and Sarada beamed. It made sense to Hatomi she would be attracted to a person's heart and soul before their physical attributes. She did not want a lover who could not keep up with her in every sense of the word.

"But you do think she's pretty, right?" Sarada asked.

Hatomi thought about it. Maiya had a heart-shaped face with large sea-green eyes. Her lashes were full, her nose slender but petite, and her lips lusciously shaped in a cupid's bow. Her skin had no blemishes except the beauty mark to the right of her lips and she had proven to be evenly tanned with perky breasts, a flat stomach with definition in her waist, and legs.

"Yeah, you think she's pretty," Sarada said with a laugh.

Hatomi blinked and tilted her head to a side in question while Sarada grinned. Sarada moved closer to her, a normal kind of closeness and Hatomi saw Sarada completely relax.

"Hn?"

"You started staring off into space like you used to do when Metal walked by except this was more intense," Sarada explained.

Hatomi inclined her head as Sarada kept smiling. The entire relationship seemed more intense but it had hardly been a week officially. They texted daily and sent pictures to each other of what they did or what they wore that day. Hatomi had mastered the art of taking a self-shot photo in the bathroom to show her face and outfit thanks to the mirror.

"You probably miss her, huh?" Sarada questioned.

Hatomi nodded. Maiya had gotten her hair evened out while Hatomi had been in Suna and it fell to her shoulders. The other day she had cut it even shorter so it had a long fringe of side-sweeping bangs and barely two inches of length in the back. It suited her though and Hatomi enjoyed the cut as much as Maiya seemed to.

"We send pictures over text but it is not the same," Hatomi said.

Sarada shook her head.

"I can't imagine what it's like. I can't even imagine how Shikamaru-sama and Temari-sama did it without all the technology we have now," Sarada said.

Neither could Hatomi. Writing letters back and forth which would occasionally take three days depending on the weather as the single form of communication, it was no small wonder Shikamaru-sama liked going home early when he could and why Temari-sama always visited him in the day.

"I want something like that one day, not long distance but that kind of love, you know?" Sarada said.

Hatomi smiled as Sarada considered. Sarada opened her mouth but at that exact moment, Hatomi's door opened and Hizashi came striding into the room. Hatomi raised an eyebrow at her brother but he kept smiling. He wore a pair of fitted shorts with a white shirt that had small sleeves and fit well against his chest, showing off his muscles almost as if he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Long hair had been just washed and hung in damp waves down his back, the shorter bits framing a face with a strong jaw, small nose, and golden eyes. He wore slippers on his feet at least, black ones that contrasted well against his pale skin.

Hatomi caught Sarada flushing a deep shade of pink across her cheeks and nose as a smile took over her face. Hatomi noticed Hizashi did not exactly walk, no; he _swaggered_ into the room before sitting on the edge of the bed near Hatomi. She almost laughed when he flexed the bicep closest to Sarada and she practically drooled over the muscle in question.

"What's up girls?" Hizashi asked.

The reason Hatomi always went to Sarada or Chocho's house for sleep overs was this exactly. The girls had never wanted to be interrupted by the sheer amount of boys in Hatomi's home especially while talking about boys, make-up, clothes, or whatever else caught their attention like jutsu or weapons.

"We are talking about boys," Hatomi said.

"I can boy-talk," Hizashi said.

"We were going to move onto make-up afterwards," Hatomi mentioned.

Hizashi opened his mouth then blinked. He grinned and Hatomi saw Sarada watching him, silent as if she had lost the ability to speak with Hizashi sitting so close.

"You'd be surprised to know certain make-up can make some pretty good smoke bombs," Hizashi said.

Hatomi raised her eyebrow at her brother. She had wanted to keep the two apart for father's sake. He would implode if he found out Hizashi and Sarada liked each other. Father wanted nothing to do with the Uchiha name or helping to revive a dead clan.

"Is that why you keep stealing my mascara and top coat polish?" Hatomi asked him.

As expected, Hizashi went red in the face. He hid his nails in the covers but kept his eyes on hers.

"Yeah of course. What else would I use it for?" Hizashi said.

The fullness of his lashes spoke differently. She used clear mascara as the clumps were not as visible if it did clump and her lashes were dark enough. All she enjoyed doing was fluffing them up. Apparently Hizashi had the same thought in his mind.

"Your lashes beg to differ. And no one has nails as shiny as yours without a top coat," Hatomi said.

Hizashi went completely red then sputtered. She did not care Hizashi took her make-up to emphasize his features. He had good features and may as well do a minute of work every morning to make them stand out. Father did the same as did mother.

It was considered embarrassing for a male to admit to doing his nails or emphasizing his eyes. If any of the boys found out Hizashi did such they would make fun of him. Sarada would not say a word to the boys, nor would Chocho if Sarada decided to reveal Hizashi's secret.

"Well?" Hatomi asked.

"You, you, er, fine, talk about boys and make-up," Hizashi said.

All the self-righteous anger of his thirteen year old boy mind made him puff out his chest, pout, and flick his hair in a Kingly way before stomping off with a slam of the door. Hatomi kept her smirk to herself then turned to Sarada who had started to pout.

"Aw, why did you have to run him off? You know I like him," Sarada said.

Hatomi had no intention of telling Sarada her true motives. There were other alternatives and it worked wonderfully when Hatomi questioned:

"Have you seen what you are wearing?"

* * *

The Curry of Life Restaurant had been obliterated. Where it had once stood was a crater five yards deep, five yards past where the outer walls of the restaurant once stood. Neji felt a pain in his chest for the loss of the place. He had not particularly liked the spiciness of the food but Karashi and Sansho had been kind enough to tone down the spice when he came to visit with Lee.

He had watched as Ranmaru grew up until his children took up the majority of the time but Lee had given him many reports. Hell, the three had come to Lee's wedding and made an immense pot of the Curry of Life that knocked half those in attendance onto the floor because of its spiciness. Lee had loved it.

Now, the restaurant had been destroyed and the location of the occupants unknown along with the location of Lee and Metal. Neji took a deep breath and let it out slowly, scanning the area for any kind of clue. Bits of pots, pans, wood, and other parts of the place were scattered around the area. He spotted a picture in a broken frame of the three with Lee, Metal, and Yusa taken sometime last year.

A photo album lay near it, pages open to reveal more pictures of the six, all posed in front of a timed camera Neji knew Sansho owned. The camera itself lay five yards away from the album in a ruined heap. If Sansho was alive it would break her heart to see her home, her memories, and her life as annihilated as it was.

If Sansho was alive.

The destruction around him spoke volumes and no civilian would have survived such an assault if someone had come looking for Ranmaru. Why blow up the restaurant when Ranmaru had never been trained as a shinobi? His defenses might have helped for a few moments but the man (28 now, Kami how time passed) had not learned how to fight shinobi.

Karashi, almost forty, might have been able to defend for a few moments and even Sansho at sixty-five would have done something to protect her well being. They would not have lasted long by any stretch of the word. Ranmaru would have been taken and the restaurant destroyed to be rid of witnesses.

But where did it leave Lee? This had happened long ago, at least sometime in the past six months as every bit of what used to be the shop had either gone moldy or rusted from time exposed to the elements. Why no passing traveler had mentioned it stunned Neji as well but most civilians saw an obviously shinobi destroyed place then avoided it as if it had a plague for their safety. Few would inform anyone besides their civilian friends or family and eventually no one would come down this path.

Lee would have seen this and come back to Konoha. Someone had stopped him. Stopping Lee was next to impossible especially since Metal would have been involved and Lee tended to get ridiculously powerful when it came to protecting his precious people.

"Well?" Sasuke asked.

Neji loathed being on a team with the man but had to push this emotion aside for Lee's sake. Neji turned to stare at the Uchiha as Kiba and Akamaru sniffed around the area.

"This happened sometime in the past six months, too old for me to see any footprints or other details the shinobi would have unintentionally left behind. I see no bodies though but I can tell Lee may not have made it this far. There are no signs of a struggle in the area that would indicate he fought off enemy shinobi," Neji said.

"Yeah, I'm not picking up his scent either," Kiba mentioned.

"He wouldn't have come from the path we took," Sakura said.

Neji inclined his head in agreement. Lee would have come from the opposite direction as he had been coming from Suna. They would have to leave this mess behind so they could attempt to find Lee.

"Then let's keep moving," Sasuke said.

Neji let out a breath and took a moment to pick up the picture in its broken frame. The others said nothing as he took the picture out of the frame and tucked it into his bag for safekeeping. They took off down the path Lee had to have taken from Suna.

Every step brought more worry to Neji's heart. The further they came from the former shop, the more Neji's heart clenched and his stomach coiled into a knot. He saw it before everyone else. At the edge of his vision field came the signs of the struggle they looked for.

"Seven hundred and fifty meters ahead: craters from Lee and Metal's attacks," Neji said.

The group nodded and they sped up. Neji scanned the area as it was revealed to him bit by bit. Kami, Lee could tear up a place when he had the mind and need to. Bodies of Rain shinobi littered the ground, _dozens_ with their heads smashed in or chests caved into nothing. Broken limbs, snapped spines, every hit showcased the frailness of the human body under an assault from a force known as a Green Beast.

Neji stumbled when he caught sight of the giant crater in the middle of the path. His eyes began to sting but he swallowed down the emotion in his throat. Kami, let his eyes be wrong for once. Please.

Neji overtook the others and ignored their shouts after him. They would catch up in moments but Neji wanted, _needed,_ to see for himself. He landed in the crater and turned off his dojutsu. Color came back to him which made the scene at his feet worse.

Lee lay in the middle of the crater on his back, eyes closed with his green suit torn in multiple places, not from weapons but from opening the Seventh Gate. Both arms hung at his side at awkward angles and his right leg had gained a second knee from a break in his shin. Lee's entire body showed the stress of opening the Seventh Gate: burn marks from the heat of his own blood, misplaced muscles from over-pushing his limits, and bruises from where he had hit an enemy with a body part so hard.

Lee's knuckles on both hands were shattered which left his hands a crumpled mess of tissue and muscle. Blood had flowed to leave Lee in a congealed puddle. He had been lying here like this for at least three days. Metal was nowhere in sight.

Neji bent until his knees hit the ground beside Lee's right side. He placed a hand on Lee's cheek and felt the heat of Lee's flesh, rendered as such because of the sun. The faintest whisper of breath tickled across Neji's thumb and he let out a little breath. Alive but injured to the point where it might not matter.

"Oh Kami,"

Neji saw the others had made it to the crater. Sakura held both hands in front of her mouth as her green eyes teared up. Kiba snarled as his eyes became damp while Akamaru whined low. Sasuke bowed his head and closed his eyes.

"He is alive," Neji said.

Sakura was opposite him a moment later, hands lit green with her healing chakra as she applied it to Lee's body. Neji removed his hand and turned on his Byakugan. He had to find some trace of Metal.

The issue with having a father and son with the same battle style was Neji could not tell which crater or broken body had been made by which Green Beast. He did spot a trail of blood, a few drops here and there which led into the forest.

"Kiba, there is a path of blood," Neji said.

Kiba followed him as Neji pointed it out. Kiba took a sniff then scowled.

"Metal,"

Neji held back his wince then followed Kiba while Sasuke stayed with Sakura. Neji did not have to tell Kiba where the blood was as the man could smell it now but they kept going deeper into the trees. Neji did not enjoy the thought of this.

His eyes picked up corpses at the edge of his vision field and he took off with Kiba falling into step beside him. Neji gritted his teeth when he saw what sat in the middle of the corpses. He took a breath through his nose to attempt to calm his pattering heart but it did not help as much as he had hoped.

Metal lay on the ground like his father though not as injured. A few broken ribs, a broken arm, and a cracked knee cap along with bruises and jammed fingers were what Metal suffered from. Kneeling beside him was Ranmaru, pushing his chakra into Metal's limp body.

Ranmaru wore bandages around his eyes, a tattered pair of deep blue pants, and a bloodstained shirt that had at some point been white. His pale purple hair, normally neatly held in at the back of his head in a pony tail was a mess of tangles to his middle back, covered in grime and dried blood. He bore bruises, scrapes, cuts, and other minor injuries over his exposed arms and face.

Metal's heart beat but not powerfully. Neji could tell the boy had been revived by the man they had been looking for which meant Metal had succumbed to some internal injury moments before. Neji switched vision fields and spotted the internal injury: ruptured aorta likely from the pressure of pumping blood to a body that had over used the Gates.

The strain had likely come a few days ago and kept building until the aorta simply could not take it anymore. Luckily Ranmaru had found Metal or Konoha would be down a second Green Beast permanently. Neji stopped beside Ranmaru, fascinated as the man's chakra slid out of his form and into Metal's to heal the aorta and keep Metal alive.

"Neji," Ranmaru rasped.

Neji knelt beside Ranmaru but did not touch him. There were so many unknowns about the man's dojutsu Neji did not know if placing a hand on him would hinder the healing process.

"Rain Shinobi, dozens of them, killed Karashi and Sansho then took me to their base. He took my eyes. They were going to kill me back at the shop so it looked like I died there but Lee and his son attacked. I tried to help but,"

"It is fine. You are doing what you can," Neji said.

Neji could see the strain this healing put on Ranmaru. The man would not live past this day. Neji noted Kiba had taken off to get Sakura here. Perhaps she could heal Metal so Ranmaru did not have to sacrifice his life. She had two minutes.

"Who took your eyes?" Neji asked.

"Don't know his name. He was tall, pale, long dark hair, amber eyes like a snake with all these black marks around them. He looked much too young to be able to do what he could and hissed his 's' sounds like a snake. I thought he was a woman at first,"

Orochimaru.

Neji clenched his hand into a fist then realized something of vital importance. No one else had heard Ranmaru's description of the man to back Neji up. Neji clenched his fists in frustration as Metal's aorta healed completely and he began to live without assistance with Ranmaru.

Ranmaru stopped the healing and started to fall forward. Neji caught him, cradling him gently, and Ranmaru smiled up at him. Neji said nothing as Ranmaru lightly touched the side of Neji's face as if trying to gauge his expression.

Ranmaru's chakra was weak, dangerously so. If Sakura did not get here soon she would have no one to save. Neji did not see her near his vision field. He cursed fate and held Ranmaru a little bit hard.

"Here to save me again," Ranmaru said with a light laugh.

"I try," Neji said.

"He wants to take over Konoha,"

"The man who took your eyes?"

"No, the one he works for,"

The one _Orochimaru_ worked for. Orochimaru never worked for anyone but himself or his interests. What in the Hell was happening? Ranmaru coughed but Sakura hit the edges of his vision field, alone. Neji let out a breath of relief.

"Sakura is coming, hang on a bit longer," Neji said.

Ranmaru kept smiling but did not respond. Neji saw his chakra paths still moving, his heart still beating and willed Sakura to hurry the Hell up. Occasionally Neji hated being able to see so far off. This happened to be one of those times.

Metal coughed and Neji glanced to his god-son. Metal opened his eyes, squinting in pain and Neji frowned. Sakura hit the bushes and stilled.

"Ranmaru first, he is a witness to much," Neji said.

Sakura nodded and Neji placed Ranmaru on the ground softly. He took a deep breath then another as Sakura applied her chakra. Neji went to Metal who stared up at him in agony. Neji wished he could take the injuries away. He could do nothing but kneel beside the teen and hold his hand.

Eventually Sakura proclaimed Ranmaru was healed enough to be moved safely. Neji lifted Ranmaru into a piggy back position and Ranmaru chuckled. Neji tried not to think of how Ranmaru had been carted around in much the same way for a long while over twenty years ago.

Sakura lifted Metal in a bridal carry and again her hands glowed so she could walk as she healed Metal. They joined up with Kiba and Sasuke who had gotten Lee onto a make-shift stretcher. The trip back to Konoha would be long but they would be bringing back living shinobi and the witness to how little Orochimaru had changed.

Sometimes Neji loathed being right.

* * *

As if I would kill off Lee or his son. Jeez. Orochimaru working for someone? *whistles innocently* Till next time: reviews welcome.


	39. Feigned Peace

**Feigned Peace**

 **Author's note:** I keep making this thing more complicated. I guess I'll never get back to my original fiction, eh? Ahaha...

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs, lesbians, bondage sex, swearing, killing, gore, blood, and violence...there's a reason this is rated M folks.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Orochimaru had disappeared. Tenten figured it would've happened sooner or later even if he hadn't been tattled on by Ranmaru. Kabuto was now detained in Torture and Interrogation along with Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo. So far though, none of the four knew what in the Hell Orochimaru was up to.

They had all proven to be excellent liars in the past.

Tenten didn't care for the four, never had really, but she felt like crap for Mitsuki. The child didn't know anything about his father and despite living ten years in various bases, had no clue as to what his father had been up to. Ino has broken into his mental defenses like a kunai through paper and proven his innocence.

But, the people of Konoha knew something was going on with Orochimaru and since Mitsuki was the snake's son, well, the kid had gone from suspicious but tolerated to downright scum of the earth over night. No shop owner would allow him entrance. He had been kicked out of his father's home as it was under investigation and no one would allow him to live in their apartment complexes.

It was why Tenten had a fifth child to feed.

She never thought it would be Mitsuki of all the kids but Orochimaru's son joined them breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hizashi had been the one to insist he stay with them, at least for a little while so Mitsuki shared Hizashi's room. Neither teen complained but Tenten still hoped Mitsuki hadn't learned to lie like his father.

Of course this would be the week Shinobu and his team had come to Konoha as escorts while Maiya had come with Gaara and Kankuro. Yusa hadn't wanted to stay alone so Neji and Tenten had taken her in as well. Saying Tenten and Neji had a full house was an understatement. They had more people than rooms.

But, Maiya shared the bed with Hatomi (something Neji still pouted about) while Shinobu had brought a sleeping bag when combined with Hizashi's sleeping bag made a pretty comfortable cot on the floor according to Hizashi. Her son was willing to give up his bed to his friends every other night and Tenten loved him for it.

Yusa took the couch some nights while other nights Neji and Tenten slept on the couch. It had been two weeks since the odd arrangement had begun and Tenten knew it wouldn't be stopping any time soon.

According to Hinata and Temari, Naruto and Shikamaru were in meetings all day about what had to be done with Orochimaru and whoever the man followed. They had to figure out what to do with all the Rain shinobi who had Ranmaru's eyes and now that Ranmaru was cleared to come out of the hospital, what to do with him.

Thankfully Metal would be back to normal in another month. Lee, well, it would depend on how well he did in physical therapy with his hands and leg. Tenten knew Lee had the determination to get back to his former strength but sometimes the body didn't care how stubborn the mind was.

Tenten flicked her kunai into the air absently and caught it as Hizashi sparred with Shinobu, both with the katana swinging hard towards the other in an attempt to one up the other. Yusa was taking out one of Hatomi's old shirts in the chest area so Hatomi didn't have to buy an entirely new wardrobe to suit her larger bust.

Shi sparred with his father while Hatomi and Maiya sparred: Maiya with her blades and Hatomi with bare hands. Mitsuki helped Shun with his maths homework which seemed odd to Tenten but Miruku had fallen asleep by Mitsuki's side so the teen couldn't be all that bad.

Now that she had three other kids in the house Tenten was glad Neji had talked her out of more even when she randomly mentioned it now and again. At least Shinobu, Mitsuki, Maiya, and even Yusa offered to give them ryo for the extra food and helped around the house. Still. It'd gotten squishy in the home which Tenten had never thought possible.

"There, finished another. Let's hope Hatomi doesn't gain another cup size," Yusa said.

Tenten smiled at the seamstress and kimono maker. Yusa had even offered to make Hatomi new shirts and Hatomi hadn't known what to say. Yusa simply took her measurements, asked her favorite colors, and worked on them when she went to visit her husband and son in the afternoons and evenings.

"At the rate you're going she'll never have to buy a shirt again," Tenten said.

Yusa chuckled then shrugged.

"The better for you then and her as it means less ryo to spend. Besides, I need to keep busy,"

Yusa's smile wasn't as bright as it normally was but Tenten didn't remark. Tenten understood about keeping busy. She'd gone stir-crazy worrying over Neji while he was out looking for Lee. When Neji had returned...no, best not to think of that day.

"She has a good sense of style as well: practical yet eye-pleasing," Yusa said.

"Blame Neji," Tenten told her.

"More you. What other kunoichi can wear a qipao dress successfully in battle?" Yusa asked with a giggle.

Tenten had never considered herself fashionable. Being up with the recent fashions had always been the job of Ino and Sakura. But Yusa did have a point. Tenten kicked ass, looked good doing it, and never showed off more skin than she wanted.

"I'm going to put this shirt in Hatomi's room and find another," Yusa said.

Tenten nodded and tried not to be too obvious in watching as Yusa got to her feet. The limp had become more noticeable in the past two weeks likely because of stress. Yusa had learned to erase the fact her right leg was shorter than her left by a significant amount years ago but when she had a lot of pressure in her life the ailment came back.

Even so, Yusa carried her body with all the grace and dignity of a Hyuuga woman even though she had been born a common civilian girl and raised by one of the Fire Country's famous dress makers. Yusa's mother had a burr up her ass about Yusa marrying Lee, until Lee proved to be good friends with Gaara and Naruto.

Tenten jolted when Neji sat beside her and she glanced over at him. Shi had taken to meditating by the swings but Tenten could see the sweat decorating his brow and the way he had to take deeper breaths than normal. Hatomi and Maiya sat by the targets, both girls coated in sweat and panting with smiles on their faces. Hatomi's grin was significantly less broad then Maiya's but Hatomi was as happy as the red-head.

Hizashi and Shinobu had flopped onto the grass spread-eagled and side by side to catch their breaths. Tenten felt Neji's hand slip over hers and curled her fingers in his. She felt the strength of his grip and the warmth of his flesh. Tenten took a deep breath to keep her tears down and tried not to think of what Yusa was going through. What Lee was going through being in the hospital with his career in the balance again.

What Orochimaru's unchanged ways and Ranmaru's lack of eyes meant for the shinobi world.

The peace they had was over now but the civilians couldn't know it, not yet. The shinobi would again fake everything being okay as they protected their people from the shadows as their jobs dictated. The hospital would get use again, rooms full to capacity, as shinobi risked everything to make sure the peace held for another day.

Tenten had never thought she would miss real peace.

Sure she had hoped for harder missions or more missions but now that the hope might become a reality, she didn't want them. Having more difficult missions, hell even more missions meant Hatomi and Hizashi would be leaving home more often with the real possibility they might not come back in one piece or breathing. She should've filled Orochimaru with senbon after the war.

"I hate when you're right," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

She smiled at his weary agreement. Neji had been one of the few opposed to Orochimaru being left alive even after the snake helped in the Fourth War. Tsunade-sama had been emotionally attached to her old teammate and Naruto had believed everyone could change. It had to suck for Naruto now.

"What do you think the Kage and daimyo will vote on?" Tenten questioned.

"A new Earth daimyo first then perhaps for us to keep investigating the Rain Country. We have all been pretending they are not there sitting in the middle of us waiting for the right time to attack. There will be more missions," Neji answered.

"Yeah,"

"Hn,"

They sat in silence even when Yusa came back with another old shirt of Hatomi's and began to let it out at the top. The kids went back to fighting, Shi joining with his sister and her lover while Hizashi and Shinobu sliced and diced their way across the lawn. Eventually Mitsuki and Shun came to join them on the porch from near the sandbox but Mitsuki joined with Hizashi and Shinobu in a three-way fight.

Tenten watched her kids and their friends. She hoped they were ready.

* * *

It had been a long while since they had done this. Even so, they had grown used to the concept and how they accomplished this task never left their minds or bodies. Hatomi left to meet Hizashi at the proper roof top in the dead of night wearing all black with a black mask covering her entire skull. Hizashi joined her and they preformed their secret handshake to be absolutely certain they were who they were.

Handshake done, they took off silently towards the Hokage Tower.

It had been difficult to slip out of bed with Maiya wrapped around her but Hatomi had managed. She had left Maiya a note on her pillow to not worry or alarm her parents and that she should be back swiftly enough. Hizashi had likely had a tougher time getting by Mitsuki and Shinobu.

Even so, it had been two and a half weeks since Lee-sensei had been brought back as crushed as he was. Father and mother did not tell them what had happened nor had Yusa but all three appeared tense. Any normal person would have brushed this tension off as Lee-sensei and Metal were recovering. Hatomi and Hizashi knew their parents better.

There would be something bigger happening and Hatomi loathed being left in the dark. She kept her Byakugan activated as they hit the roof of the tower with little more than the whispers of their stockings on the roof. Both scanned the area, Hizashi for bodies and warmth and Hatomi for chakra paths. They did this without having the need to speak to each other.

Once they deemed the area clear with a quick gesture to the other of the hand, they climbed down the side of the building to the loose window. Hizashi effortlessly disengaged the traps and they both slipped into the Hokage's office. Nothing stirred at their entrance and they scanned the room with their detail vision before moving forward.

Hatomi went to the desk where the piles of papers sat while Hizashi stood behind Naruto-sama's chair, hugging it so he did not move it an inch out of place. Hatomi smiled under her mask. Hizashi excelled at hacking into computers while Hatomi outclassed him with more traditional ways of finding information.

She looked through each page, absorbing information quietly and replacing each piece of paper where it had been in the pile while Hizashi got into Naruto-sama's computer on the first try and began tracking down the information he thought was useful.

Hatomi saw her brother stick a three and a half inch disk drive into the computer and begin to copy whatever he thought would be useful to them. Mother and father had not broken down and bought a computer yet but there were many in the library they could use at their leisure with no one knowing what they looked at.

Besides, Hizashi knew ways to make the computer forget what it had done. Hatomi did not understand it but she had faith in her brother. He had never been the reason they were caught yet.

"Orochimaru's working for someone," Hizashi whispered.

"Hn,"

She had found the same. The fact the snake worked under someone did not bode well. All his life Orochimaru had worked for no one. Orochimaru would have always remained alone in his plans unless this person had some form of blackmail on Orochimaru or threatened Mitsuki. Hatomi almost laughed. Orochimaru did not care about his son.

"Woah," Hizashi muttered.

"Hn?"

"Ranmaru's dojutsu, listen to this: it can confuse the Byakugan user into thinking inanimate objects are people with high level chakra paths, trap _anyone_ into a genjutsu, allow the user to transfer chakra and life force into a corpse to bring them back to life, and has abilities similar to both the Byakugan and Sharingan,"

Hatomi scowled then replaced the paper she was looking at to stare over Hizashi's shoulder. He had not lied. Ranmaru's eyes could see over long distances, even allowing him to hear, could see chakra over this distance, and see the changes in an individual's chakra like Byakugan. Like the Sharingan Ranmaru's eyes also allowed him to pick up any detail he saw and see the life force of a person. The dojutsu had no name and there was no other record of it besides Ranmaru.

A dojutsu as strong as Byakugan with traits of the Sharingan which could stop or confuse a user with one or the other did not bode well for the shinobi world. Hatomi went back to her stack of paper work as Hizashi copied the file he read.

She went to the next page and felt her stomach clench into a knot. The more they searched, the less she wanted to know. She had to know though for her country and the safety of her family and friends.

"So far it has been recorded over fifty Rain shinobi have this dojutsu now. We killed about half of them but there are no definite numbers on how many people possess eyes which will impeded the Hyuuga clan,"

"Damn,"

"Hn,"

They worked in silence for a few more moments until Hizashi gasped. Immediately Hatomi straightened the files she had been working on and went to him. He pointed at the screen wordlessly and Hatomi read it.

"They want your eyes as you can see color and likely other concepts normal Byakugan cannot do. They wish to make an ultimate dojutsu and will be going after you directly. Hn, you best train harder then,"

Hatomi did not need to see Hizashi's face to see he pouted at her. She patted his shoulder before going back to the pile of paper. She found a list of teams who would be heading out to the Rain Village to investigate the base and surrounding areas. Hatomi was surprised to see her name and Hizashi's name on the same team.

"Apparently we are going to be heading to the base mother destroyed to investigate along with, oh,"

Hatomi stared at the name of the one in charge and their third. Hizashi stood behind her and she heard him gape. It would be an interesting mission.

Hatomi saw someone coming towards the Hokage's office through the wall and scowled. Well, they had learned more than enough. She took a picture of the team list before putting everything neatly into place the way it had been. Hizashi ejected his disk from the computer before closing all the files and logging out.

Both scanned the room to make sure absolutely nothing looked disturbed then headed to the window and out. They were on the roof as the person opened the door to the Hokage office and stepped inside.

Naruto-sama yawned hugely as he strode toward his desk. They watched as he ruffled through his papers and found the teams Hatomi had taken a picture of. They saw him sigh and circle the team they would be on. Focusing their vision brought the words he wrote along the side clearer: "dispatch in the morning."

Hatomi and Hizashi took off for home. They saw Naruto-sama take the list with him as he left the office. They saw the other Kage and daimyo leaving the Hokage tower where a late meeting had finally finished. Hatomi glanced to her twin and he nodded.

Tomorrow they would leave Konoha, venture into a hostile land, and seek out information like they had tonight. The difference would be tomorrow's mission might kill them while tonight's had been completely illegal. It seemed like Naruto-sama did not care Hatomi was supposed to be punished for disobeying father. She would be off on a mission tomorrow.

* * *

Hizashi was used to waking up with the sun, not so much when it came with the knowledge he'd being going on a mission to a hostile territory looking for information about why people wanted his eyes. He left Mitsuki and Shinobu where they lay then headed for the en suite. The bathroom door was closed with the shower running when he walked past it and Hizashi rolled his eyes at his sister. He couldn't help but smile though.  
Hizashi opened mom and dad's door and peered into the dimness. They lay facing each other, covers up, and wrapped in a hug in the middle of the bed. Mom's loose hair was a mess around her head and across the pillows while dad's still looked somewhat sleek and perfect. Hizashi chuckled inwardly before hiding in the bathroom.

When he was finished he came out more awake to see they had rolled over with dad resting his head on mom's covered chest. Hizashi snickered inside again before stepping out of his parent's door. He kept moving then just about got the bathroom door slammed into his face as Hatomi stepped out of it with her hair done but still wearing a towel, the tiny one that strained across her chest.  
"Clothes help," Hizashi said.

She raised an eyebrow at him, snorted then sashayed towards her room. Hizashi huffed before heading back to his. Mitsuki and Shinobu still slept on, oblivious, so Hizashi got dressed. He didn't pack anything for the mission but he did head towards the kitchen to get something to eat. He had to stop because an ANBU in a ram mask stood in the hallway.

"Hi," Hizashi said.

"You and Hyuuga Hatomi are to go to the Hokage's office immediately," the ANBU said.

"I'll let her know," Hizashi said.

"Be prepared for an extended mission,"

The ANBU operative left when Hizashi nodded. He turned back around to see Hatomi had heard. She nodded as he passed and he began to pack. His scroll belt went on first with his C, D, F and G scroll sets attached. Small scrolls were tucked into his shirt and shoes while Hizashi considered his Twin Rising Dragons scrolls. He took the B and H set and heard a groan.

"What the Hell?" Shinobu asked.

"Mission," Hizashi said.

Shinobu gaped at him as Hizashi tied on his hitai-ate before grabbing his mission scroll and making sure he had enough supplies. He said nothing as Shinobu dragged himself out of the cot and followed Hizashi to Hatomi's room.

She came out and handed him two neatly folded up outfits and Hizashi smirked before stashing them in his scroll. They headed to the kitchen where Hizashi raided a few canned goods while Hatomi grabbed breakfast bars and wrote a note for their parents. Shinobu watched with tired eyes as they left but he did wish them good luck.

They were in the Hokage's office before their team leader and third. Naruto-sama looked more exhausted than Hizashi had ever seen him, probably because he'd been up all night with the mission list. The door to the office opened and in strode their team leader.

Nara Shikamaru-sama had begun smoking again and Hizashi didn't know what to make of it. The shadow user had bags under his eyes, his clothing was rumpled, and his pony-tailed hair looked a bit greasy. Even so, he had a med-pack on each hip and a weapon's pouch at his lower back. He wore his flank vest, green, and had his hitai-ate tied off on his left arm.

Hizashi said nothing as Shikamaru-sama stood to his left. Hatomi had taken Hizashi's right side as typical but no one said a word. They didn't have to wait long for the fourth on their team and Hizashi stared as she entered the room.

Even now her mere presence commanded attention. Mid-length blond hair was still caught up in two pony tails at the back of her head with a bit framing a face too youthful for her actual age. The Curse of One Hundred Seal sat smack dab in the middle of her forehead and as typical she wore black knee length pants with a white shirt that exposed a good amount of cleavage all under a long sleeved green coat left open. A black obi encircled her petite waist.

Hizashi knew Tsunade-sama was in her sixties but the genjutsu she constantly cast didn't reflect it one bit. He couldn't help being a thirteen year old boy and see the luscious curves of the former Hokage's body. At least he wore loose shorts. She took up a position beside Hatomi and Hizashi spotted a weapons pouch on her left hip as well as a med pack at her other hip.

"I don't normally send a genin on this kind of mission but Hizashi's eyes can't be tricked by the Akaryuu dojutsu,"

Hizashi thought "red dragon" was a good name for the mystery dojutsu of Ranmaru-sama.

"His long-range weapons skills and short range Hyuuga techniques will be useful too. Besides, the twins work best when gathering information, right?" Naruto-sama asked.

No way Naruto-sama knew about last night. They'd been as careful as normal but Hizashi nodded to Hatomi's indifferent sound. Naruto-sama smiled but it didn't stay on his face long.

"Apparently they've been breaking into the records room and my office since they were ten so if they can manage that without detection, this should be no problem," Naruto-sama said.

Tsunade-sama smirked while Shikamaru-sama smiled softly. Hizashi let out a breath. Hatomi hummed in mock confusion.

"What is this exactly?" Hatomi questioned.

Oh yeah, they weren't supposed to know what mission they were going on.

"Right, right, well you four are going back to the base the Suna shinobi were brought to when the Rain captured them. There might be some important information left over and we need all the information we can get," Naruto-sama said.

Hizashi didn't want to ask the question but again they had to act surprised.

"Um, isn't Hatomi supposed to be on suspension?" Hizashi asked.

As expected, she elbowed him and he let a yelp escape. Okay, that hadn't been fake. Jeez, she could've let up a bit. Naruto-sama chuckled as Hizashi rubbed his sore ribs.

"Normally she'd stay on suspension but we need her talents more than she needs to be punished. You two weren't around when the Akatsuki was or when Madara was trying to take over the shinobi world with Obito. We don't want something like that happening again so we're trying to cut if off before that point. The more bodies out, the more of a chance we have to stop it but we need information first. That's where you guys come in," Naruto-sama said.

Hizashi nodded. He'd read all about the history of Konoha from its beginnings to the Fourth Shinobi War. No, he didn't want to see Konoha sink into pre-war times again then finish with a _Fifth_ Shinobi War.

"Shikamaru's going to be your team leader in this while Tsunade-baa, er, Tsunade will be your med-nin and back up. I don't want you guys to engage if you don't have to. Use evasion techniques to get away if you're caught. Hizashi, I've got some disks for you to take and Hatomi, I've got a camera you can use to take pictures of files or folders. You'll be setting out the moment you guys leave my office. Any questions?"

Hizashi shook his head and saw Hatomi do the same. Hizashi stepped forward to accept the pack of disks then took a minute to hide them in the supply scroll. Hatomi tucked the camera into her med-pack but the button wouldn't do up. She huffed then in typical Hatomi style, undid the buttons under her chin to expose the tops of her breasts then tucked the camera in there.

Naruto-sama gaped and Shikamaru-sama almost lost his cigarette. Tsunade-sama beamed and Hizashi rolled his eyes at his sister. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"I could've put it in the scroll with the disks," Hizashi said.

"Then I would have to rely on you giving it to me. I would rather have it easily accessible," Hatomi said.

"And hey, they gotta be useful for something," Tsunade-sama mentioned.

Hizashi decided to go with it when Hatomi smiled at the blonde. Naruto-sama wished them good luck and Hizashi walked beside Hatomi as they headed out. The paused at the foot of the stairs of the Hokage Tower and Hizashi took in his black and white world as the sun came up fully.

Mom and dad would be up by now, so would Yusa-sama. They would start on breakfast then see the note that they'd left. Mom and dad would go about their day quietly then explain to Shi and Shun when the twins got up what was going on. Shinobu, Maiya, and Mitsuki would understand the seriousness but Hizashi didn't put it past his little brothers to catch on once everyone started going quiet.

Hizashi took off with everyone else and they headed for the gates. Konoha in the morning was peaceful, quiet, and tranquil. Hizashi hoped he could be part of the reason it stayed that way.

* * *

Tenten scowled at the note in Hatomi's neat hand-writing:

 _Naruto-sama wants Hizashi and me for an urgent mission. We know little of it so cannot predict our return. We will be careful. – H_

Oh she trusted her kids would be careful and trusted they would kick whatever ass got in the way of the mission or the way back home. She didn't like not knowing how long her eldest set of twins would be gone, what the mission was, or who they went with. She handed the note to Neji who blinked then huffed.

"Hn,"

A mix of worry, annoyance, and tiredness came through in the single sound but Tenten didn't blame him. She did have a feeling it meant the Kage would be leaving today which made it exceptionally possible Maiya and Shinobu would not be here for dinner tonight.

"Morning," Maiya yawned as she stepped into the room.

Her short auburn hair suited her pretty face and she had dressed in her typical deep blue Capri pants and sky blue vest-like shirt. The shirt separated at her navel and fanned out behind her like a long cape. Under the shirt she wore a mesh tee-shirt. Her hitai-ate had been tied around her right bicep.

"Hatomi's on a mission," Maiya said.

"Yeah, we don't know the details but if missions have started to be handed out," Tenten started.

"I'll probably be heading home today," Maiya finished with a little frown on her face.

She hadn't gotten to say good bye to Hatomi. Tenten nodded as the Suna kunoichi let out a little breath then shrugged it off. No, she buried the hurt, worry, and whatever other emotion she had under a smile. Tenten decided it best not to say anything about the fake happy act as Shinobu entered the room.

"So, you guys got the note?" Shinobu asked.

"Yeah," Tenten said.

Shinobu nodded as he came deeper into the kitchen to help set the table with Maiya. Neji had begun cooking but Tenten could tell her husband listened to everything going on.

"I heard Hizashi get up this morning so followed then heard the ANBU talking to him. I don't know why he and Hatomi were up so early though," Shinobu said.

Tenten almost started laughing but kept it down. She heard Neji snort to hide a laugh. Hizashi and Hatomi had probably broken into Naruto's office last night, saw they had a mission this morning, then gotten ready for it without telling anyone. It meant they knew what the mission was about and who would be going with them. Tenten wished she could say the same.

Yusa and Mitsuki joined them and Tenten explained what was going on while she cooked. She told Shi and Shun when they got up and they all crowded around the table to eat. Shinobu answered the door part way through the meal when someone knocked on it to reveal Kankuro and a Mist shinobi.

"Guess we're going, huh?" Shinobu asked.

"Yeah, missions have to be assigned and we have to get working on keeping the peace," Kankuro said.

Maiya inhaled the food on her plate before taking off to Hatomi's room to pack. Shinobu did the same as Kankuro strode in with a smile. The Mist shinobi stayed by the door looking a bit awkward but Tenten said nothing to him.

"So do you know what mission Hatomi and Hizashi are on?" Tenten questioned.

Kankuro blinked then thought about it. He inclined his head.

"Information gathering with Shikamaru and Tsunade-sama," Kankuro said.

Tenten couldn't help her jaw dropping and saw Neji had raised both eyebrows. Kankuro nodded. Tsunade-sama had never been told to go on a mission which meant she had volunteered for this one. Tenten knew exactly where her kids were heading: back into the Rain Country and to the base where they had rescued Maiya's team from.

Son of a bitch.

She didn't know whether to kill Naruto slowly and painfully or just beat the crap out of him. Tenten let out a breath as the revelation sunk in for Shi and Shun. Shi became uninterested in breakfast while Shun stared down at the table with damp eyes. Yusa bit her lip. Kankuro sighed and shrugged.

"They'll be all right," Kankuro said.

Tenten sure hoped so because if she had to hear about her kids being injured in the hospital then they'd need to find a new Hokage. Maybe she'd leave some of Naruto for Neji as her husband would probably be annoyed she'd take over the whole fight.

"Kakashi's being sent out with Sakura and Sasuke so Sarada's going to need some help," Kankuro said.

Holy crap. Kakashi hadn't gone on a mission in years. Then again, the peace had been broken. All the bodies that could move would be heading out. Tenten had a feeling she would be inviting Sarada to stay with them and Yusa would move in as Tenten and Neji would have to leave on a mission eventually.

"Thank you," Neji said.

Kankuro nodded. Maiya came back into the room with her pack and Tenten held back her yelp as the girl hugged her. She stared in wonder as Maiya gave Neji a hug as well and almost laughed at her husband's awed face.

"Thanks for letting me stay and for being so awesome about everything," Maiya said.

Tenten smiled. Okay, Hatomi knew how to pick them, male or female.

"No problem," Tenten said.

"Hn,"

Maiya grinned and left with Kankuro. Shinobu didn't hug them but he did bow low before leaving with the Mist shinobi who had come to gather him. Tenten frowned at the empty feeling of the house. Four kids down and three left. Mitsuki, Shi, and Shun looked as perplexed at the loss in numbers.

"Well, let's finish up huh? You two still have school and Mitsuki, we can train with you," Tenten said.

They were washing the dishes when a second knock came to the door. Neji answered this time to reveal Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi, and Sarada. Sarada carried her overnight bag, stuffed for a week at least while Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi were set for travel: med packs, weapon packs, hitai-ate, and other supplies.

"Sorry to barge in like this but can Sarada stay here for a little while?" Sakura asked.

"Kankuro told us you would be going on a mission. Hatomi and Hizashi are out as well. Maiya and Shinobu had to leave an hour ago so we have the room," Neji explained.

Sakura blinked then nodded. Sarada's eyes had gone wide behind her glasses and Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Sasuke frowned but said nothing.

"Oh wow, I didn't think they would have to head out so soon," Sakura said.

Tenten frowned but strode into the hallway.

"Did you know about their mission?" Tenten questioned.

Sakura shook her head. Oh. Tenten had to learn to stop assuming.

"Not a clue but um," Sakura started then stopped with a flush.

Sasuke glanced to his now fidgeting wife and Kakashi who shifted from foot to foot while rubbing the back of his head.

"Naruto wants the two of you," Sasuke said.

Tenten scowled but nodded. Sarada slunk into the house as if embarrassed then darted past her and Neji into Hatomi's room. Tenten thanked the trio and they left as she shut the door. She turned to see Shi staring at the floor with a glare on his face and Shun snuggling into Miruku's fur so hard the cat looked ready to explode.

Yusa had a little frown on her face while Mitsuki had his eyebrows furrowed and his lip between his teeth. Tenten let out a breath and forced a smile on her face. She had to look as if the missions didn't bug her for the sake of her kids.

"I'll stay here then," Yusa said.

"Thank you," Neji told her.

"And I'll um, I guess, I mean, I'll stay too to make sure everyone's safe. It's the least I can do after everything," Mitsuki said.

Tenten gave him a real smile and nodded. He thanked her with a flush and a beaming grin that reminded Tenten of Hizashi. A part of her hated leaving Orochimaru's spawn in her home with Sarada, Shi, Shun, and Yusa but Hizashi had helped Mitsuki since the chunin exams. Adults rarely changed but kids could and her eldest twins had been the Naruto to Mitsuki's Neji in the chunin exams.

She had to trust the kids. They were the future after all.

* * *

Shorter chapter is short. As you can tell: I'm obvious not time-skipping. Ahaha. Reviews welcome as always.


	40. New World

**New World**

 **Author's Notes** : Hey look: it's chapter 40! For those still sticking around: thanks a bunch. I love you all. I do want to apologize for kind of ignoring this series and everything else on here for a long while. I had to catch up on original fiction and kind of fell out of motivation for working on any kind of fan-fiction. But I'm back and _Bonds_ is complete on my computer. I'll make notes on my calendar to get it up in completion.

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs, lesbians, bondage sex, swearing, killing, gore, blood, and violence...there's a reason this is rated M folks.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Hatomi sat at the edge of the clearing in near the same position she had been in the last time she had been here. The difference between the last time and now were staggering. For one, the single family member with her was Hizashi. For two, no one had been captured and they were not surrounded by enemies. She did have to enter the destroyed base with her brother though and the weather had become much worse in a little over two weeks.

The Rain Country lived up to its name and instead of a fine mist one could ignore it had begun to downpour during the night. The rain had let up some but not enough. It soaked through clothing, drenched hair, and made it difficult to hear tiny snaps of twigs as the sound of water jumping on leaves or branches drowned out smaller sounds.

Hatomi loathed it.

She wore rain gear of course, a dark blue poncho provided by Hizashi who wore the same. The hood was up on the poncho but any quick movement would knock it right off. Her clothing under the rain protector had been damp since last night but there would be no sense in changing as her clothing in Hizashi's scrolls would be soaked right after.

Shikamaru-sama and Tsunade-sama did not seem to care about the rain much. They both wore Hizashi's provided rain gear and kept their expressions blank as Hizashi scanned the area. Her Byakugan had picked up nothing but the Akaryuu could trick her eyes. It could not trick Hizashi's eyes.

"Clear," Hizashi said softly.

Shikamaru-sama led the way and Hatomi fell into step with him. She did not understand why the tactical jonin and Naruto-sama's right hand man came with them. The shadows were low in the Rain Country because of the constantly overcast weather so Shikamaru-sama's jutsu became mote. They may need his mind to escape without injury though.

Tsunade-sama had been an obvious choice as she was a sannin, a med-nin, and a power-house taijustu user all rolled into one. Hatomi had faith the mission would go well and no one would be hurt because of the blonde. It had been a simple bonus Tsunade-sama liked to joke around and tease the two males in their group.

They came to a spot at the obliterated front of the base. Hatomi scanned the rocks quietly along with Hizashi and found the easiest path for the two of them to enter. Hizashi found it as well and they exchanged a glance without moving their heads or eyes. Hatomi looked towards Shikamaru-sama and Tsunade-sama and spotted Hizashi's lips turn down a few millimeters more.

The duo may not make it through the path they saw. Shikamaru-sama and Tsunade-sama would not want to wait outside. Hatomi let out a breath before looking at the two older shinobi.

"We found an entrance," Hatomi said.

"Lead the way," Tsunade-sama said.

Hatomi hummed then nodded to Hizashi. They leaped and Hatomi took the lead. She saw Hizashi land in the exact spot she had left a moment ago then Tsunade-sama followed. She did not hit Hizashi's exact spot but had been close enough. Shikamaru-sama had landed a bit too far left.

"Stay where we step," Hizashi called out.

"Right," Shikamaru-sama muttered as Tsunade-sama grinned.

Hatomi landed on one of the higher bits of rubble then squirmed into the hole they had spotted. Her legs, hips, and waist fell through but she was caught by her breasts a moment later. Hatomi sighed when Hizashi landed above her and blinked down at her. He held up a hand to stop Tsunade-sama and she tilted her head at him.

"Er, Hatomi's kinda stuck," Hizashi said.

Hatomi felt the heat rise to her cheeks when she saw Tsunade-sama look down to her cleavage. Shikamaru-sama rubbed the back of his head and half turned away as if he could see Hatomi's stuck position. Hatomi took a deep breath and hit the rock above her chest lightly with chakra. It crumbled and she slipped the rest of the way through.

She landed on a tilted piece of wall, skidded a bit then settled. Hatomi dusted off the front of her poncho and sighed. She watched as Hizashi explained the hole and what the other two would be landing on. He jumped down then they both nodded and skidded until coming to a stop beside her. Tsunade-sama squished her breasts against her torso as much as she could before following them in.

She _almost_ got stuck like Hatomi but landed, stumbled but caught her balance and ended up to Hatomi's other side. Hatomi saw her squinting in the dimness and wondered how dark it was for non-Byakugan users. Shikamaru-sama landed well enough and frowned.

"Yeah, this is why going into dark places with Byakugan users can be a pain," Shikamaru-sama said.

Hatomi hummed but said nothing as Tsunade-sama revealed a flashlight and flicked it on. Hizashi led the way through the maze of tunnels to the room Hatomi could see with her eyes. The file room full of untouched computers and locked filing cabinets.

The bomb from mother and later Hizashi's final throws had destroyed most of the base not solely the front. One of them had hit an important gas line which caused more explosions to rain through the base. They had been tamed but Hatomi saw corpses near her feet of those who had been too close to the bursts.

The base had been left as it had been since no other shinobi had wished to die in a gas fire. Hizashi sniffed the air but smelled nothing. She stepped forward and felt rain upon her head then shifted her vision up.

Holes were in the roof which would have helped with the gas leaking out. Even so, Shikamaru-sama should not be lighting a cigarette in here and they would have to be careful about making any kind of spark. Thankfully they did not have to tell the other two shinobi.

They made it to the file room with no incident and Hatomi went to the cabinets as Hizashi went to the first computer in a row of five. His scroll came out and a moment later he had disks in his hands. Hatomi picked the locks on the drawers within seconds and began sifting through the files for pertinent information.

She blinked at the charts in front of her and frowned.

"Tsunade-sama, you may be interested in this," Hatomi said.

The blonde came over to her then lit up a flash light. Hatomi saw her scowl. Shikamaru-sama raised his eyebrows but kept his dark gaze on the hallways outside. As if he could see an attack before her or her twin.

"What is it?"

"Ranmaru's genetic information, reams of it, not just blood-typing but how his genes combined to make the Akaryuu. Hell, we can take the file, right?" Tsunade-sama said.

Hatomi stared. They had never been allowed to take information from a place before. She glanced to Shikamaru-sama who shrugged.

"If someone wanted this stuff they would've come back by now. Hey Hizashi, do you have room in your scrolls for more important stuff?" Shikamaru asked.

Hizashi nodded, as stunned as her and she licked her lips. Well, the camera might become mote.

Tsunade-sama stayed near her while Hatomi went through the files. Shikamaru began placing the files they would take near the area Hizashi looked at while her brother systematically hacked into the computers and downloaded all the information.

It took them the entire afternoon and most of the evening to go through the room but at near eight in the evening, Hizashi sealed up his full disks and the files they would keep into a scroll. He gave it to Tsunade-sama for the safest keeping and she, like Hatomi, tucked it into her breasts. Shikamaru-sama muttered a word and Hizashi gaped as a flush came to his cheeks.

"We should camp here for the night," Tsunade-sama said. "We've got part of a roof over our heads at least and no one's going to think to look in here for us."

"Right, good point. I'll take first watch," Shikamaru-sama said.

Hatomi took second, Tsunade-sama third and Hizashi last. Hatomi took some time to dust off a bit of floor and smiled when Tsunade-sama grinned and helped. Camp set up in little time and soon the smell of Hizashi's fried rice, eggs, and salmon floated through the air. Hatomi said nothing when Shikamaru-sama smirked then dug into the meal.

"Now I can see why Lee used to call Tenten convenient," Shikamaru-sama said.

Hatomi giggled as her twin deadpanned. Tsunade-sama chuckled but wrapped an arm around Hizashi's shoulders which made him turn a deep shade of pink across the cheeks.

"What else are you hiding in those scrolls?" Tsunade-sama asked.

Hatomi pursed her lips to keep from laughing too loudly when Hizashi gaped at the former Hokage. She winked. He fell over. Shikamaru-sama chuckled and Hatomi joined in. Tsunade-sama tsked but had a grin on her face.

"You love teasing the poor kid, don't you?" Shikamaru-sama questioned.

"Keeps me young," Tsunade-sama replied.

Hatomi said nothing but had to admit she enjoyed the company. Hizashi came to a few moments later, still flushing, but made no mention of what else he hid in his scrolls. They cleaned up from the meal and Hizashi made the leftover food and utensils he had used to cook disappear. They were about to settle down when a clatter echoed in the hallway.

Instantly they were all on their feet and Hatomi activated her Byakugan. _Hundreds_ of shinobi were coming towards them from both sides of the hallway, down the front, and she tensed. She glanced to Hizashi who did not look the slightest bit perturbed.

"Akaryuu, Hatomi. Your Byakugan's useless," Hizashi said.

Hatomi scowled but nodded. She released her dojutsu but stood in a Gentle Fist fighting stance as Hizashi scanned the area. Tsunade-sama kept to their backs but Shikamaru-sama stood with them.

"Is there a way out?" Shikamaru-sama asked.

Hatomi stared then remembered they were not to engage. She scanned the area around them and spotted a hole in the roof in one corner. She turned on her dojutsu again, ignored the fake army around her, and studied the structure.

"Yeah, that hole back there but it'll be tough getting out with the dozen coming," Hizashi said.

"We'll be fine, Hatomi, you go first. Tsunade-sama, you next then Hizashi, then me," Shikamaru-sama said.

"You last? Why? You can't see 'em and you have no long distance attack," Hizashi said.

Shikamaru-sama sighed as they all turned as a unit, grabbed up the remains of their camp, and began running towards the hole.

"Your parents would kill me if you somehow got stuck down here while we escaped. If you're captured then the enemy wins. You have all the information we grabbed. You're the only one who can see the enemy. Want me to continue, kid?"

Hatomi shook her head when Hizashi looked to her to compete with Shikamaru-sama's logic. There were certain points, the ones Hizashi had mentioned, but Shikamaru-sama's remarks were better. Hizashi nodded and they heard more then saw the enemy enter.

Hatomi ran up the wall and slipped out the hole with ease, followed quickly by Tsunade-sama. Hatomi almost fell over the uneven rock on the outside but Tsunade-sama grabbed her by the wrist as Hatomi corrected. Hizashi came out of the hole followed by Shikamaru-sama and they all heard a crack.

Apparently the area of roof they were on could not support them all. They scattered. Hatomi landed in a tree branch a dozen yards away while Tsunade-sama hit the ground at the side of the base. Hizashi landed in a tree six yards to the opposite side of her while Shikamaru-sama rolled on his ground landing, ten yards from Tsunade-sama.

Hatomi sensed someone behind her and spun around as a red-eyed man came at her, kunai raised. She slammed two fingers into his chest, right above the sternum and the red eyes went out as his corpse fell. Pain flashed across her left arm as he had nicked her before she had killed him.

She spun on the tree branch to avoid a second man coming at her and landed on the ground where Shikamaru-sama and Tsunade-sama had gathered. Explosions rocked the area around her as Hizashi blew up the base to catastrophic effects. Hatomi slung her body in front of Shikamaru-sama and Tsunade-sama then spun into Revolving Heaven. She could not see but she could tell both had gone to their knees in order to enter into her Revolving Heaven rather than be blown back by the chakra blast.

When she no longer felt rocks hitting her chakra, Hatomi stilled. She almost fell over but Tsunade-sama caught her. The entire base was on fire but Hatomi was not allowed to watch for long. She felt the sensation of flying when Tsunade-sama lifted her and took off running. Hizashi leaped near them a moment later with a grin on his ash speckled face.

Trust her brother to love blowing up buildings.

* * *

He'd gotten to blow something up _and_ they completed the mission without getting hurt. Hizashi couldn't stop smiling even though Hatomi snorted at him for blowing up what was left of the base. Hey, better destroy the evidence of them being there than for the enemy to find out they had taken information, right?

Hizashi kept pace with Shikamaru-sama and Tsunade-sama as they left the area in a mess of flying rubble, fire, and dust. The Rain Shinobi hadn't seen it coming Akaryuu dojutsu or not. Hizashi loved being unpredictable like that. The looks on the enemies' faces when he grinned and said "bam" had been completely worth it.

He wished he'd had been able to grab Hatomi's camera but the memory of it would have to do. Better still, he'd got most of the Rain shinobi in the blast. The one's he hadn't trapped in the base or made fly through the air were helping the ones who had been hit by his blast so no one followed them.

It'd been freaking awesome.

"Good escape technique," Shikamaru-sama said.

Hizashi beamed.

"Coulda warned us first," Shikamaru-sama muttered.

Hizashi huffed. Hatomi had seen it and she'd reacted like he thought she would. Plus she'd made an immense dome of chakra around her to cover both Shikamaru-sama and Tsunade-sama like he knew she would do. He'd also planned on her using most of her chakra and Tsunade-sama or Shikamaru-sama catching then carrying her.

It had all worked out according to his plan and now all they had to do was put some miles between them and the Rain shinobi before resting for a few hours. They would be back in Konoha by tomorrow night or the morning after, all in one piece and with all the information the Rain shinobi had stupidly left in their base.

The enemy leaving the information had probably been a trap to lure them back which had worked but the Rain probably hadn't thought about Hizashi being the one to come back. They had to know Konoha had Ranmaru safe in the Village. Well, maybe not.

Lee-sensei and Metal had decimated the group carting Ranmaru back to the Curry of Life shop. That alone should've warned the Rain. They were stupid or over-confident. Hizashi couldn't decide which.

The rest of the run went by quietly and as expected, Hizashi didn't spot anyone coming after them through any type of vision he used. They camped near the Konoha border and Hizashi grinned when he sat in his sleeping bag. Hatomi sat on hers near Tsunade-sama while Shikamaru-sama had settled beside him.

"Went better than expected though, you gotta admit that deer-boy," Tsunade-sama said.

Hizashi failed in keeping his chuckle back from the pet name. At least he wasn't alone in laughing. Hatomi giggled softly and Tsunade-sama laughed outright at Shikamaru-sama's unimpressed look.

"Yeah, yeah, obaa-chan," Shikamaru-sama muttered.

Hizashi stiffened and stared between the two with wide eyes as Tsunade-sama raised an eyebrow. Hatomi shifted backwards in her sleeping bag a bit and Hizashi waited for the storm. Tsunade-sama sighed heavily.

"I'm really that old, aren't I?" Tsunade-sama groaned.

"You don't look it," Hizashi said before thinking about it.

He yelped when Tsunade-sama beamed at him before pulling him into a hug which put his face _in_ her cleavage. The view was great, so was the feeling but he had a feeling he'd be punched in the head if he said anything about how soft and comfortable it was here.

"Aw, thanks kid," Tsunade-sama said.

Yep. Death by being smothered by large boobs was the way to go. Hizashi fell out of her chest when she let him and knew his entire face was red. Thank Kami it was dark and he wore loose shorts.

"Anyway, I'll take first watch," Shikamaru-sama said.

Hizashi stretched out on his side with his face pointed towards Shikamaru-sama. He heard Tsunade-sama and Hatomi lay down behind him and closed his eyes. They'd be home tomorrow and Hizashi couldn't wait.

* * *

Neji let out a long breath as he and Tenten walked back into Konoha from their two week long absence. The mission had been difficult but they were used to complex missions which included going into enemy territory and taking down a few dozen of said enemy to receive a bit of information. Whether their information could be used or not would be seen.

Neji stayed in step with Tenten as they walked through Konoha and wondered if Hatomi and Hizashi were home yet. He certainly hoped so as it would have taken perhaps two days to arrive in the Hidden Rain, a day to retrieve information, and two days back, totaling a week at most. They should have been back a week into Tenten and Neji's mission.

"So tired," Tenten muttered.

"Hn,"

He wrapped an arm around her waist to draw her close and she leaned against his shoulder. It did not matter she had dried blood in her hair, her qipao dress had gone from white to light brown and gray, or her face had a few dirt streaks in it. He loved holding her close.

She stunk of sweat and heavily of damp forest but he smelled the same. Her normally neat hair was rumpled as the last time she had re-tied it had been a few days ago at least. His was greasy and tangled; he could feel it coursing down his back in an absolute mess. They had not bathed in perhaps a week or more.

Civilians watched them pass but said nothing to them about their appearance. Their outfits had the marks of weapons dodged and their hitai-ate still glowed under the sun. Even so, Neji felt disgusting. A good long shower would help.

They made it to the Hokage Tower without incident, all the way up to Naruto's office where they gave pause to Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke walking out of the office as they came up. All three were dirty, dusty, blood-stained, and otherwise showed the wear and tear of a difficult mission.

"Hey," Sakura said with a smile.

Her eyes showed her exhaustion but Neji could see relief there as well. Sakura and Kakashi were glad Neji and Tenten had arrived unscathed. Even Sasuke showed a bit of warmth where there normally had been none.

"Long mission for you guys too, huh?" Tenten asked.

"Yeah, going home to take a shower and eat. Sarada can come home whenever," Sakura said in a tired voice.

"No problem," Tenten said.

Ah yes, they still had Mitsuki, Sarada, and Yusa at home. Neji inclined his head to the trio as they left and walked into Naruto's office. He blinked then had to restrain from rubbing his eyes at the sight.

Shikamaru stood over Naruto's desk looking at maps, mission reports, and whatever else the two needed to look over which was entirely normal. Papers being scattered over the floor had never been normal, even more unusual was the fact Hizashi sat in the middle of the paper circle making patterns in it as if the paper was a giant puzzle he had to solve. Hatomi sat with a pile of paper neatly stacked beside her, a computer on the floor in front of her, and typing with a look of concentration on her face.

"Hey-ya Neji, Tenten," Naruto said.

The twins looked up, Hizashi with a beaming grin on his face and Hatomi with a small smile. Both were uninjured, sitting comfortably in the Hokage's office in their mission clothes doing, well, something.

"Hi," Tenten got out.

Neji made a sound of acknowledgement as Naruto grinned. Shikamaru looked amused when Hizashi and Hatomi went back to whatever it was they had to do.

"I kind of recruited your kids for organizing all the information they brought back," Naruto said.

"Ah, that makes sense," Tenten said.

Neji could tell she was as flabbergasted as him. At least he did not have to be alone in it.

"Hatomi's a great typist and Hizashi's awesome at figuring things out. Plus they both have really good memories and well, they may have read most of the stuff on the way back anyway so might as well stop them from breaking into my office, ne?" Naruto questioned.

Neji managed a nod. At least his children would be safe during this time of pre-potential war. Sitting in the Hokage's office doing informational work would be better than being out in the field.

"We're almost done though," Hizashi remarked.

Neji kept the frown off his face as Tenten shook herself before handing in the mission scroll with their report. Naruto briefly read it over then offered it to Hizashi. Neji watched as Hizashi tilted his head to a side, hummed then stuck the report to the right of his paper circle. Neji didn't say a word as his children went back to it.

"Anyway, you guys are good for a week," Naruto said.

"What's the situation like?" Tenten asked.

Neji had not caught up yet with the fact his children were the Hokage's personal assistants of sorts. Personal research assistants to the Hokage. Huh. Neji needed a shower, food, and a nap. Then he could consider the full implications of that.

"Well, we know for sure Orochimaru's the one who took Ranmaru's Akaryuu and copied it," Hizashi said.

Neji tried not to think about how his _son_ was letting him in on everything going on while Naruto allowed it. This proved to be difficult but Neji focused on Hizashi's words.

"He's the one who made this serum that changes a person's eyes to match the Akaryuu but it only works on really specific shinobi. They've gotta match Ranmaru's blood type and have really good control over their chakra. Orochimaru also kept Ranmaru's original eyes and implanted them into his boss who we still don't know the identity of.

"We do know Orochimaru hates him and wants him dead but we don't know why. We do have the basics on the plan to take over the shinobi world starting with Konoha and Suna. We've got information on all the shinobi who have the Akaryuu and where they might be located. We have a few base locations too and they're being checked out," Hizashi said.

Naruto nodded in agreement and all Neji could do was stand there stupidly with his arm around Tenten's waist. Hizashi snapped his fingers, spun on his heel then picked up a piece of paper behind him before triumphantly putting it near the report Neji and Tenten had handed in.

"Anyway, that's all the info we have now," Hizashi said.

"But it's enough to start mounting a counter-attack," Shikamaru said. "We wouldn't be able to send out the teams we are without Hizashi and Hatomi finding out where some of the bases are and figuring out how many Rain Shinobi have the Akaryuu. Once we've secured the other bases, we'll be sending them out again for more information gathering so we can figure out who Orochimaru is working for and where he's gone."

Neji nodded rather stupidly. Naruto beamed and Neji could see the Hokage looked _tidy_ and not as tired as he had been in the past few weeks. The bright glow had come back to Naruto's eyes and he did not have bags under them. Neji did not know what to make of it.

"Anything else?" Naruto asked.

Tenten shook her head for both of them and they were dismissed, leaving their eldest set of twins to keep up their work with Naruto. Neji let out a breath and bit his tongue. Pain so not a genjutsu then. He wanted to laugh but he could not get over the fact _his_ kids helped the Hokage. The former Main House Hyuuga could suck a lemon.

Even more surprising they entered their home to find it empty. Neji realized it was moments after lunch which meant Yusa would be visiting Lee and Metal with Mitsuki in tow. Sarada had probably been told her parents had come home while Shi and Shun were still in school. Neji looked at Miruku and the cat squeaked at him.

"Huh," Tenten said.

He nodded as she wandered off towards the kitchen. Neji blinked at her and decided he needed a shower before he could eat. He left Tenten to do whatever it was she planned while he walked into their bedroom to find everything neatly in place. Neji hummed before dropping his mission bag by the hamper. He took off his sweat-stiff clothes, dropping them one by one into the hamper and left his hitai-ate on the dresser.

Neji took up his brush but went into the bathroom to brush his grimy hair. He winced at the amount of dirt and other flecks of _something_ which came out while he brushed over the bathtub. Neji finished de-tangling his hair and stepped into the bathtub, pulling the curtain closed before bending to play with the faucets.

Warm water jetted over his back and Neji let out a long breath of relief. He stood under the showerhead for a few long moments, enjoying the warmth of the water over his skin, his face, his hair, and smiled. When the shower curtain was almost ripped down from the pole it hooked on, Neji yelped and stepped back, hitting the wall and staring.

"Who said you could get all wet and naked without me?" Tenten asked.

Neji opened his mouth then closed it. Who was he to argue with his naked, hair un-bound, grinning wife?

"My apologies, Mistress," Neji said.

Tenten smiled then jumped him. Literally. If they were not shinobi he would have slid along the slick tiles to fall on the smooth surface of the bathtub but he rerouted chakra to his feet to keep them upright as she attacked his mouth with hers. Strong hands ran up and down his sides before tangling in his hair.

Neji closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her close enough not even the water could slip between their bodies. She shifted so he impaled her and Neji groaned in her mouth. Tenten pressed against him with one hand tugging on his hair while the other gripped his ass so tightly he may have bruises in a few hours.

He did not care.

Neji grabbed the back of her head in one hand, not as if she needed the encouragement to keep kissing, and used his other as a seat so she could rest her buttocks against his forearm to get a better angle for both of them. Her legs wrapped around his waist as much as they could considering the tiled wall behind them and Neji felt her knees digging into his ribs.

Her hand migrated to the top of his head so both gripped and tugged at intervals as she began shoving against him. Neji pushed back into her, enjoying the sensation of filling her as her breasts pressed against his chest and her hand tugged on his hair. He shifted so he shoved her against the wall and she broke their kiss to let out a loud moan which echoed off the shower walls and through the bathroom.

No matter. No one was home to hear it.

Neji moved his hand from her hair to wrap around her waist while the other migrated to press against the tile so they didn't fall over. Her legs came fully around his waist, heels digging into his lower back as their pace quickened. Neji could not tell who made which sound but he did not care.

He shoved into Tenten, hard, quick, but she did not complain. If anything she urged him faster by kissing him firmly then pulling back and nibbling at his lower lip which drove him insane. Kami he loved when she nipped at his flesh and she knew it. He let his breath float over her neck and she gasped before biting his ear lobe.

Neji shivered against her but kept pounding forward. Kami, the heat of her, the tightness, and the way she fit so perfectly against him. He could hardly think. She yelled out her release, hands tight in his hair and he groaned after her in climax. He almost dropped her but held on. He did let his knees buckle until he knelt in the middle of the tub with Tenten still wrapped around him.

"We needed that," Tenten said after a moment.

Neji kissed her neck in response and she giggled at him, squirming which proved to make him hard again. Neji shifted his hands to grab her breasts then rolled her nipples between his fingers. Tenten smack his ass and Neji let out a groan. Kami she always knew what he wanted.

"More?" Tenten questioned.

The sly smile on her face told Neji Tenten knew she did not have to ask. Neji kissed her, prodding her mouth with his tongue but she took the challenge. She shoved him back against the rim of the tub and Neji grinned up at her as she made sure he was in place how _she_ wanted: legs spread, arms around her waist and back against the rim of the tub.

She rode him steadily, thrusting her hips towards his waist then back as she picked up the pace. Neji let his head fall back and moaned loudly in the room when her hands grabbed onto his nipples and pinched. He shoved into her but she did not break stride, instead, moving faster as she was aided by the water covering their bodies thanks to the showerhead.

They did not last long and Tenten gripped his shoulders hard in her hands as she yelled her completion. Neji clenched her waist in his hands as he joined her and they rested, panting in the hot bathroom. Neji opened his eyes to see her grinning cheekily at him.

"Well, after mission sex: done. Now we shower," Tenten said.

Neji chuckled at her but helped her to her feet. She tugged the shower curtain closed as he reached for the shampoo. She grabbed it out of his hands and he grinned when she tangled her hands in his hair to wash it. She gave him a deep scalp massage and he returned the favor. Her nipples tempted him so he bowed his head to catch one between his teeth.

She gasped then spanked him. This made the process of washing their bodies all sorts of interesting. Lather spread across them both, more gathering in intimate places, as they felt, washed, and enticed the other. It ended with Neji on his knees in the tub, face pressed against Tenten's wetness as he ate her out and soap flowed around his face. She gave him a hand job after. Now sated, they managed to finish bathing.

Neji had no issue with her brushing and drying his hair and he did the same with her. They collapsed naked in bed and Neji wrapped around her, content. Food could wait. His children were safe and his wife was curled up beside him. All was right in the world and he would relish in it.

* * *

First thing you do when coming home with your husband to find your normally full house empty? Shower sex. Lots of it. Fair warning: time skipping ahead. Why? Cuz I do plan to finish this eventually. Don't worry because the time skipping won't be too far ahead. Reviews welcome.


	41. Chunin Duties

**Chunin Duties**

 **Author's notes:** Let's remember we're dealing with 13/14 year olds who have killed people. Yes, they will be taking romances faster as well as acting way older than their ages. Do I dare remind anyone Naruto and Co were _sixteen and seventeen_ in the Fourth War? Yeah? Got it? Good. *winks*

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs, lesbians, bondage sex, swearing, killing, gore, blood, and violence...there's a reason this is rated M folks.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Hatomi shut her door behind her and let out a long breath. One year since they had found Ranmaru saving Metal with his Akaryuu. One year and a few months since Orochimaru had defected from Konoha yet again, abandoning his son this time, and the start of a trust he had begun to make up. One year since she and Hizashi had uncovered the vital information this entire counter-attack relied on.

Much had happened in the year. Metal had healed and been sent out on missions with the other genin at the time to escort the daimyos from meeting to meeting or other important VIPS. Lee-sensei had been able to re-train his body and had returned in perfect form.

They had destroyed three of the five bases the Rain Shinobi used with Orochimaru and had captured over half of the Akaryuu Rain Shinobi. Hizashi had made chunin in the second exams. Sarada, Metal, and Boruto had made chunin recently in the third exams. Inojin, Chocho, and Mitsuki would try again in six months.

Shi would graduate the Academy next year while Shun had been out of school officially for six months, running the shop with Guy-sama's help. Her, mother, father, and Hizashi spent more time out of the house than in it. She and Hizashi still went on information gathering missions, mostly with each other now, while mother and father went on seek and destroy missions with the addition of Lee-sensei.

Life had been hectic and unexpected but there was one concept Hatomi could rely on never changing. She smiled at the thought before locking her door and shifting to the desk set up in front of her window. The desk had been a new edition since she had become Naruto-sama's personal researcher of sorts.

He had funded it, bought her the personal computer with all the most up to date software and hardware and told her to use it for leisure when she had the time. Of course Hatomi had used most of her spending money on a webcam, also the best money could buy and speakers. Of course, Maiya had invested a good chunk of her money into the same sort of set-up.

Her relationship with Maiya became the stone on which she planted her feet in the middle of the turbulent ocean of life. Maiya did not mind either and Hatomi had grinned at the text message she had received from Maiya earlier in the day: _I'll be home tonight, 8PM._

Simple but to the point. Hatomi powered on her computer before settling in the rolling chair and making sure everything around her desk and in her room was to her liking. The bed had been made perfectly, her clothing hung up, her books and papers put away, and more importantly she had showered and brushed out her hair until it glowed. She applied a bit of mascara and lip gloss as the computer finished booting up then entered her password to the machine.

It blinked completely to life and Hatomi ignored the reports on her desktop to click on her chat icon. She glanced at the clock to see the time change from 7:59 to 8:00PM as she signed into the client. Instantly, Maiya's chat bubble popped up with a request for video messaging. Hatomi adjusted the volume on her speakers, hit play on the radio on her desk then accepted the chat.

Maiya's face went across the screen in full, lips turned up in a grin, auburn hair combed neatly across her head. Maiya wore a small tank top in sky blue. Hatomi could see how hard Maiya's nipples were as her lover wore no bra.

"Hey," Maiya said.

"Hello," Hatomi returned.

Maiya ran a hand through her long side-sweeping bangs then blew her a kiss. Hatomi smiled and tucked her longer hair behind her ears. Maiya kept the short hairstyle with perhaps two inches of length at the back while the front had long bangs swept to the right side. Hatomi loved the style and itched to feel it between her fingers.

The last time they had kissed had been four months ago. Between missions for the both of them and Hatomi keeping Naruto-sama up to date with the research she and Hizashi gathered, neither of them had any time to go on an extended visit to the other's home. At least they could physically see each other.

"Just got in from a meeting?" Maiya asked.

"Hn,"

She had finished informing Naruto-sama, Shikamaru-sama, and other important dignitaries of the new information she and Hizashi had found a few days ago. It had given them a clue to Orochimaru's whereabouts and she had theorized with Hizashi for the past three days as to what it could mean before presenting everything in the meeting with him today.

"I wish I could be there to rub your back for you," Maiya said.

Hatomi smiled and leaned forward a bit, knowing her robe separated at the top to expose her cleavage. She could see it in the miniature version of her screen in the corner. Maiya grinned and licked her plush lips.

Their messaging time had always been spent between long conversations, simple silences merely looking at the other, and a few risqué moves. Sometimes they played shoji in front of the screen or showed the other books or weapons. Tonight, Hatomi had no intention of a conversation. She wanted, _needed_ to relieve some stress.

"Frustrated, huh?" Maiya questioned.

Hatomi nodded before reaching down and untying the robe. Hatomi smiled softly as her robe came apart which exposed the valley between her breasts all the way down to her navel. Maiya bit her lip then smiled before tugging the skinny straps of her tank top down to expose the tops of her breasts, stopping before the areola had become exposed.

"I wanna run my tongue over your nipples," Maiya said.

Hatomi took a deep breath then shifted back in her chair until it leaned. It allowed more of her body to be exposed to the camera from the top of her head down to below her groin where the robe had pooled. Maiya shifted in the same way, adjusting her webcam before she did and Hatomi smiled when she saw Maiya wore a white thong.

"I wanna kiss your belly button and bite your hips,"

Hatomi hummed at Maiya's words. Maiya had all the freedom in the world to speak all she wanted without the fear of a family member hearing. She also did not mind Hatomi stayed silent on these nights. Hatomi spread her legs, glad when the rope parted but not enough to show the juncture between her legs.

"Tease,"

"Blame the robe,"

"I'd rip it off if I was there and bury my face in your chest,"

Hatomi felt a sweet tingling sensation beginning between her legs and wetness which had nothing to do with the fact she had come from the shower. She grinned at Maiya who tugged her shirt off with one hand to expose the pert tanned breasts with their darker brown pebbled nipples. Hatomi felt the heat spread from her groin and up.

She lifted her hands and tugged the robe off her shoulders. The air in her room was cool which made her nipples firm up instantly. The robe pooled in the seat of her chair but Hatomi focused on Maiya's eyes as they took in Hatomi's exposed breasts.

"I want to suck on you," Maiya said.

Hatomi ran her hand over her chest from collar bone down over her breasts. She allowed one hand, her left, to linger at her chest to massage gently while the other roamed down her waist. Maiya's thong came off a moment later and Hatomi could not help but stare at the juncture between Maiya's legs.

Wet lips parted as Maiya spread her legs then ran a hand through the short auburn hair of her mound. Hatomi saw how hot Maiya was by the pink-red color of her clitoris and labia. Maiya's lower lips were all ready swollen and ready.

"I wanna taste you,"

Hatomi flicked the robe away from her waist one handed while the other hand moved to her nipple to roll it between her fingers. Hatomi knew Maiya did not mind Hatomi had started breathing hard, mouth open and eyes half lidded. Maiya's breath came out in short gasps as she placed her middle finger over her clitoris and began to rub in a smooth circle.

Hatomi let out a soft moan as she copied Maiya's motions but allowed her ring finger to play over her damp folds. Maiya grinned at her before licking the index and middle finger of her free hand before pinching her nipple.

The heat and tingling spread down her body to her toes and she shifted to spread her legs further, feeling her lower lips part. Maiya bit her lip then smiled as Hatomi pinched her nipple which made her gasp shakily.

"I wanna push my fingers inside of you as I lick your clit," Maiya said.

Hatomi rubbed the sensitive nub of flesh between her legs faster. They had never done anything physical as their visits revolved around them being in the presence of others. Hizashi had the annoying habit of sleeping on Maiya's couch when they went to Suna. It made sense as he needed to look over the same reports but all Hatomi wanted was _one night_ alone with Maiya.

Oh what she would do with the red-head...

"Open your eyes sweetie,"

Hatomi had not realized she had closed them. Hatomi met Maiya's green eyes as she thrust her ring finger into her hole. Maiya copied the motion and Hatomi smiled when Maiya's hand wandered down her body.

Hatomi kept one hand on her breast, knowing Maiya liked the way they moved when Hatomi touched her body like this. Her other hand kept busy with one finger rubbing her clit in fast circles while her ring finger teased her insides. Maiya's hand shifted again so her ring finger and middle finger flicked over her clit while the index finger of her other hand pressed between her folds.

Hatomi took in a deep breath and licked her glossed lips. Her breath came out in short pants despite her trying to steady her breathing. The muscles along her thighs and abdomen tensed as she worked towards completion. Her toes curled into the floor for something more to hold onto but there was nothing. Her area rug ended at the foot of her bed.

"I wanna touch you all over,"

Hatomi wanted Maiya to touch her all over as well but with the threat of family hearing _something_ while Maiya stayed over, well, they had done nothing in Konoha either. Hatomi pushed the thought from her mind as she focused on Maiya's pleasure-glazed eyes.

"Hatomi," Maiya whispered.

Hatomi shivered at her name and picked up the pace of her hands. She wanted to toss back her head and close her eyes but she did not wish to drop Maiya's gaze. Maiya's fingers thrust in and out of her quickly and Hatomi bit her lip but matched the pace.

So close. A few more heated moments then...

Hatomi bit back her groan as she climaxed and squeezed her eyes shut as her body began to tremble. She heard Maiya make a sound and managed to get her eyes open enough to see Maiya shivering in her chair as she hit her high. Hatomi breathed heavily with Maiya for several long moments as they came down from the high. Maiya smiled.

"Better?"

"Yes, thank you. Kami, the new Earth daimyo would not cease his questions,"

Hatomi leaned forward in her chair. She folded her arms on the desk before placing her head on them. The pose concealed her but allowed her to keep an eye on Maiya while looking through her lashes which Maiya loved. Maiya giggled before shifting to tug her shirt back on.

"He's a prat," Maiya said.

"Hn, he is also part of the vote to cut funding to the shinobi nations despite the fact none of his best soldiers could defeat a single shinobi, never mind a group of those soldiers trying to take down one. But he is young, charismatic, and rich. The drones who will replace the other daimyos will be susceptible to him," Hatomi said.

Maiya blinked then sighed. She leaned her elbow on the desk then her head onto her open palm.

"The Kage still have power in council votes. Plus you've got a brother who's young, charismatic, and a shinobi. And you've got certain assets too you know. It won't be as easy as you think for the Earth daimyo to change the minds of the next generation of daimyo,"

Hatomi hummed as Maiya brought up a good point. Hizashi had been learning how to talk politically in the past year. His name, his looks, and his happy personality combined with his wit and intelligence would allow him to keep the daimyo on the side of shinobi. It likely helped Hizashi had grown to an even six feet in height and filled out through his entire body with defined muscles. Hizashi looked like some kind of beautifully carved statue made to be perfect. No small wonder his fan girls swooned when they saw him swaggering down the street.

"Besides, one demonstration of you as a big-boobed pretty young girl kicking the asses of trained soldiers will show up anything the Earth daimyo can pull out of his ass,"

Hatomi chuckled at Maiya's brilliant plan then jolted as a knock came to her door. She tugged on her robe as Maiya pulled on shorts then strode to her door. Speak of the devil; Hizashi leaned against the frame with a grin on his face.

Tall, broad in the shoulders, slender in the waist, well muscled thick limbs, chiselled jaw, silky looking thick hair, bright golden eyes, and even, smooth skin wrapped in a pair of black shorts and a white tank. Her brother, like their father, was the epitome of male beauty but where father had been built like a sleek bird of prey, Hizashi had been built like a beast.

"Hey, sorry to barge in but do you have the minutes from the meeting?" Hizashi asked.

His voice had deepened to almost match father's tone. Where she had matured early, Hizashi had matured later but as quickly as her. He looked to be in his late teens or early twenties instead fourteen.

"Hn," Hatomi said.  
She went to her desk and found the minutes she had stacked onto the desk before showering. Hizashi came into the room and waved at Maiya who waved back at him. Hatomi handed him the minutes and Hizashi took them with another smile which melted the hearts of every female he pointed it towards.

"Thanks, sis. See ya later Maiya," Hizashi said.

He turned and glided out of the room, closing the door behind him as he went. Hatomi locked her door again before settling in front of the computer. Maiya shook her head.

"I still can't believe how freaking hot he's gotten in the past year," Maiya said.

Hatomi raised an eyebrow as Maiya grinned.

"If I liked guys, I'd totally hit that. But hey, boobs are better and you're way prettier," Maiya said.

Hatomi chuckled. If she considered Hatomi as a male who had no relation to her, yes, she might hit that too. Sheer good luck made him too kind to be a man-whore and Hatomi thanked Kami for it. Mother and father would not have been impressed.

* * *

The sun was bright and warm as he walked down the street with a ream of papers tucked under one arm. The breeze was cool and smelled of baked goods while he could hear people talking happily around him as he strode through the streets. He was also hyper-aware of the eyes of every female in the area watching him as he passed.

Hizashi thought he'd become used to his fan-girls since he'd had them since the Academy but he wasn't. The past year they'd become worse as he grew and filled out thanks to dad's advice in the first chunin exams and the heavy workout Metal employed. And okay, the zits he did get were small and went away quickly enough. Sure, he had pretty eyes and great hair. It didn't mean he wanted to be gawked at.

It probably didn't help him and Hatomi had kind of become known as Naruto-sama's personal research assistants and information gatherers. They'd become respected as talented shinobi and hadn't failed a mission yet. Plus people knew they were the sole reason Naruto-sama had all the information about the Rain he did.

Okay, so the fan-girls and women of Konoha saw him as a good looking, talented, and intelligent young man. Hizashi sighed. It didn't mean he wanted anonymous love notes on his birthday, piles of random presents from strangers, or girls giggling at him or flirting with him wherever he went.

Dad had handled it by having a reputation of being an Ice King. Dad had rarely smiled in public and his white eyes had been used more for glaring than anything else. It'd also probably helped mom stuck by dad a lot of the time and people had assumed they were going out from the beginning.

Hizashi wasn't like dad or Hatomi in that cool, regal way. Nope, he was more mom's warm happy charm which sucked on days like today when he had to venture out of the house and to the Hokage Tower. A ten minute walk through the urban streets and into the market turned into a mission where he had to avoid chirping women and giggling girls wanting to give him free stuff.

Too bad the one girl he liked didn't like him back. Sarada stopped talking whenever he was around and had the habit of staring at the ground. She didn't meet his eyes anymore and Hizashi wanted to ask what he'd done to scare her off or hurt her or whatever.

"Oh, Hizashi-san,"

Hizashi sighed inwardly at his name being called by some girl and half turned, hoping his eyes reflected his weariness. Obviously not enough as the girl, some random civilian, jogged over to him with a grin on her face. Light hair in a side pony-tail, dark eyes, and pale skin wearing a shirt that was tight across her average chest and a short skirt that showed off too skinny legs.

Hizashi didn't get the "skinny is beautiful" thing civilian women seemed to be into. Give him a girl with a toned, athletic body like Sarada's or even Chocho's and he'd be happy. He'd be scared of breaking a skinny girl if they did anything physical.

"These meat buns just came out of our oven and I thought you might be hungry," she said.

She offered a paper bag with the meat buns in it and a smile on her face Hizashi supposed she thought was cute. Hizashi forced a smile on his face because hey, that's who he was, and accepted the paper bag.

"Thanks," Hizashi said.

She flushed and looked up at him through her lashes. He figured she thought the way she clasped her hands in front of her skirt and shifted her shoulders back and forth was charming but Hizashi wanted to carry on with his day, thanks.

"It's not a problem, ever. Feel free to stop by for more if you want," she said.

"Right," Hizashi said.

He turned away from the awkward conversation and quickened his pace. Maybe he could make it to the Hokage's office before he had to cart an entire lunch and dinner fit for everyone with him. Man, he didn't even like meat buns all that much. At least Hatomi did.

Stupid Hatomi and leaving earlier because she had to print some stuff at the office. Hizashi knew it had been total crap since Maiya had appeared for a surprise visit yesterday when Gaara came for the meeting. Hatomi had been wondering why Maiya hadn't answered her video messages after the night at the beginning of the week while Hizashi tried not to think of why his sister had been wearing a robe while on video chat with her lover.

Or why said lover looked flush and been adjusting her video cam. Hell, Hatomi had been a bit flushed in the cheeks. And he'd never mention the way Maiya's nipples had been straining against her shirt. It's not like they could get each other pregnant but it'd still be weird to think of them doing sexual stuff over video cam.

Hizashi turned a corner and immediately regretted it. A _hoard_ of his fan girls were hovering around the place he liked to stop at in the morning to get his iced strawberry juice. Kami damn it. They had spotted him and all started grinning while they waited for him to approach. He wanted his juice but he was so not in the mood to deal with the hoard.

Hizashi jumped onto the nearest roof top where the girls couldn't follow him and headed towards the Hokage tower. He heard the protests of the girls as he passed but ignored them completely. Maybe he should take some lessons from dad.

Hizashi hit the Hokage Tower a few minutes later and jogged up the stairs. A few shinobi nodded to him and Hizashi returned the nod. He stepped into the meeting area, saw it was full of people he knew then tossed his bag towards Hatomi.

"Meat buns, enjoy," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

Hatomi's appreciatory sound complete with a smile. Gaara-sama blinked at him in confusion while Kankuro-sama snickered. Maiya leaned towards Hatomi to snag a meat bun but Hatomi let it happen. Naruto-sama chuckled as Hizashi set the paper work beside his sister before going to the mini-fridge to get a bottle of water or something.

"If you do not like them, why did you buy them?" Gaara-sama asked.

"Fan-girls," Hizashi said.

"Ah," Gaara-sama nodded in understanding.

He settled beside Hatomi then blinked at the cup all ready at his spot. He looked to his sister who smirked at him then grinned.

"Aw, thanks sis," Hizashi said.

"Hn, I saw the hoard in front of the shop," Hatomi said.

Hizashi left his bottle of water for now and took a sip of the delicious iced strawberry juice. So it was a little runny but who cared? At least he had it. Even a little runny it still had the taste he loved.

The room began to fill in: daimyos from the Five Great Nations in their unneeded splendor, daimyos from the "lesser" Nations in their best, the other three Kage, guards of the Kage and daimyo, right hand folk of everyone in attendance and finally the poor woman who had to keep up with their conversation to type it all down for printing and distribution before the end of the day.

Hizashi spotted Shikamaru-sama yawning but no one chided him for it. Maiya sat awfully close to Hatomi but no one seemed to care, least of all Gaara who sat beside her with Kankuro to Gaara's other side. Hizashi glanced towards Naruto-sama who was to his right but said nothing as the blonde waited for everyone to settle.

"Thank you all for coming and I hope the accommodations were to your liking," Naruto-sama said.

He started these monthly meetings the same whenever they were in Konoha. Hell, all the Kage said the same few words to start the meeting. Then the daimyo would say the hotel was fine (like they were now) and the various Kage would nod or say something in agreement (again like they were) while the typist probably copied and pasted the words from an old minutes report and made a few changes here and there.

"Let's start this off with the budget," Naruto-sama said.

It always started with the budget when they were in Konoha. Naruto hated talking about the boring numbers and costs of running a nation of shinobi. Hizashi and Hatomi weren't needed for budget discussions but it was nice to hear what the daimyo thought about shinobi.

"We need to talk about the ludicrous prices we have to pay shinobi in guarding us," the earth daimyo said.

Again, this had become a typical conversation. Hizashi noticed the Wind daimyo nodding along with the Stone, Waterfalls, Frost, and Grass daimyos. He kept his frown back but saw the annoyance in the eyes of the Kage along with the other shinobi in the room. Cloud, Hot Water, Mist, Rivers, Waves, and Fire scowled and the argument begun about shinobi costs and how military men were as good, blah, blah began.

Normally the conversation could be shut down quickly but now the daimyo were split in half on the topic. Sure, Fire, Cloud and Mist wanted to keep the budget for shinobi as it was and were the bigger Nations but a few more smaller nations on the Earth daimyos side and shinobi would be taking a massive pay cut.

It would cause a revolt in the ranks and a lot of shinobi would either defect to the two nations who would offer them everything (Rain and Sound which were enemies now) or retire way before their time then take to traveling for the Hell of it. Either way the enemy would be strengthened while the nations would be weakened.

"Gentlemen," Hatomi said.

She didn't have to raise her voice to get the attention of every male in the room. Hizashi noticed she hadn't buttoned her shirt up to under her chin like normal, no; she'd left it down enough to emphasize the tops of her cleavage. Talk about using one's assets.

It worked since all the daimyo were men. It didn't matter Hatomi was out for liking girls since the daimyo didn't pay attention to the gossip involving shinobi. Hatomi leaned forward a bit, lowered her eyelids and thrust out her chest. Hizashi wanted to laugh at the seductive pose especially when Hatomi put a smile on her face.

"May we test your theory?" Hatomi questioned.

She'd even put a _purr_ in her voice. Damn. Those specialty kunoichi classes on seduction should be illegal. At least Maiya looked happy. More than a few of the daimyo were either pulling down collars or licking their lips. All of them had smiles on their faces, especially the Earth daimyo that was the closest in age to Hatomi.

"Er, what theory?" the Stone daimyo asked.

Hatomi kept the smile on her face. Hizashi wondered if his sister practiced this technique on Maiya then shoved the thought out of his head. He didn't want to know what the two did when they had some alone time.

"The theory of a platoon of your soldiers being able to beat shinobi," Hatomi said.

The daimyo stared at her in awe while the Kage kept back their grins. Hizashi could see the joy in their eyes at Hatomi's suggestion. If the daimyo saw a young, pretty girl kick the asses of their trained military men then they would back down.

"Of course we can test the theory, why I brought my best platoon of fifteen with me this time to suggest it," the Earth daimyo said.

The condescending tone made Hizashi want to fill him with senbon. Worse was the way the jerk looked at Hatomi's chest and undressed her with his eyes. Hatomi got to her feet and everyone jolted.

"Well then let us do so and stop this argument before it continues," Hatomi said.

"Fine," the Earth daimyo said.

It took some time to move the entire meeting into the biggest training area in the Academy. Hundreds of eyes peered out the windows of the Academy, students of all ages in various stages of shinobi training while the Earth daimyo platoon of soliders came forward.

They marched in deep green pants, long sleeved green shirts, and had green caps on their heads. Each wore heavy body armor made of leather with over the ankle leather boots. They carried a gun and had a knife strapped to their waists. All of them were five foot ten or taller and built thickly like he was. Hizashi had to admit to a civilian they would look intimidating.

"So, who will challenge them?" the Earth daimyo said.

"As I made the suggestion, I believe it only fair I challenge them," Hatomi said.

Hizashi saw the men of the platoon trying not to laugh and knew what they saw. Hatomi was five foot and three inches, built slender with a large bust, pretty face, and long flowing dark hair. In any man's eyes: completely unintimidating and likely weak. Hizashi kept his grin back as the Earth daimyo chuckled at her.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Hatomi smiled then nodded. The daimyo and Kage lined up along the far edge of the training field and Hizashi followed. Maiya stood beside him with a smile on her face while Hatomi stood in front of the fifteen men who had taken up some kind of fighting position in front of her. Sure, all the nations could watch the chunin exams but most, if not all, civilians who didn't physically attend believed it all to be fake.

They would see how wrong they were.

"My men have blanks in their guns today so they might sting when they hit you but they won't kill you," the Earth daimyo said.

"If they hit her," Hizashi said.

"If they hit her?" the Earth daimyo asked with a laugh.

Hizashi smiled. Hatomi activated her Byakugan and got into a fighting stance. Her smiling face became her fighting face: wide eyes, lips in a slight frown, eye brows set to neutral and devoid of any sort of expression. The platoon blinked and muttered at the sudden change.

"I will give you the first attempt at a hit," Hatomi said. "Use it wisely for if you miss me I will finish you."

The men of the platoon exchanged a glance. They grinned and as one, raised their weapons towards Hatomi who did not back down. The firing of the guns was loud but Hatomi spun into her Revolving Heaven. Bullets pinged off the shield of chakra and the platoon gaped as one as Hatomi leaped out of it, well over their heads, then landed in the middle of them.

She didn't give them a moment to recover. Chakra laced hands struck out and she took down four of them with what looked like a tap before the others could point their guns at her and fire. This time Hatomi simply began to shift as bullets hit the members of the platoon, spattering red paint over their clean deep green uniforms.

Hatomi took down four more in rapid succession while four thought it'd be easier to fight her with a knife. Hatomi proved how wrong the four were by kicking two in the head simultaneously then snapping the wrists of the other two who had tried to take her out from behind. The final three got off another shot but again Hatomi dodged. Two more went down from chakra blasts to their mid-section and the third she kicked in the temple so hard he flew for five yards before landing in a heap.

By this time the four who had been "shot" tried to attack her but Hatomi leaped above them to avoid them. They knocked into each other and she came down in a spinning kick which knocked another man into a spin. Two more got palm thrusts which sent them flying back five yards throwing up as they went. The last went to his knees and held up his hands in defeat.

"So you are aware I was pulling my chakra. Each one of those hits has killed a man before," Hatomi said casually.

"And so you're aware, Hatomi's only a chunin which isn't even the highest rank of shinobi. You should see her dad," Naruto-sama said.

"Furthermore, each shinobi uses a completely different fighting style so there is no possible way for your men to learn to counter us all," Gaara-sama said.

"We're also trained to kill a man silently and infiltrate the places your men could never even dream of. Every shinobi can pick some of the most complicated locks, survive in the wild with a kunai alone, and have speed that'd make your men look like turtles. Some have strength enough to break bones with a single hit. All this when they _graduate_ the Academy at twelve," Shikamaru-sama said.

"So, if you wanna replace us with a slightly stronger version of civilian men and women, go right ahead. But don't come crying to us when a single man who can make an ocean appear out of nowhere attacks your village," Kankuro said.

"Make an _ocean_?" The Earth daimyo tried.

Hizashi stepped forward as Hatomi leaped out of the way. He felt the eyes of the daimyo on him as he unraveled his scroll with a flare and shouted the single word:

"Ocean,"

Water slammed over the field with a roar and the daimyo gaped in both fear and awe. Hizashi didn't let his entire ocean out but even so it soaked the field, the injured platoon men and everything between them and the fence. He'd have to refill it later.

"That wasn't the whole thing or the full force of it," Hizashi said.

No one spoke for a moment until Naruto-sama suggested they head back inside to continue with the meeting. Someone called a few med-nin down to tend to the now soaked platoon men and Hizashi grinned. The shinobi world wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

* * *

Tenten sat happily on her stool at the shop while Shun worked on an order behind her. It felt like months since she had been able to relax with her son even though it had been maybe two or three days. She, Neji, and Lee had come back from a mission yesterday taking down more Rain shinobi to scope out the fourth base they used.

They really were stopping a war before it started and thanks to _her_ kids, thanks much. Tenten couldn't be prouder of Hizashi and Hatomi. Hell, neither could Neji since he walked around like a proud peacock with a light smile on his face wherever he went.

"How's this mom?"

Tenten spun on her stool to face the back counter and saw the perfectly sharpened and glowing display sword Shun had been working on. So he couldn't recognize faces or spell correctly but damn the kid could repair a weapon. Tenten blinked back happy tears then pulled him into a hug.

"It's perfect, sweetie, absolutely perfect," Tenten said.

She felt him laugh then saw him blushing when she pulled back. His slender chest had puffed out in pride and he carefully wrapped the sword before putting it in the proper place to distribute to the customer later. They had found out quickly if Shun kept doing the same tasks over and over again, he wouldn't forget because of his eyes.

Tenten spun back around on her stool as Shun picked up a set of kunai to sharpen for a shinobi. She sensed chakra coming towards them and spotted two kunoichi heading towards the shop. She loved her open front concept shop. The walls displayed the weapons while the back corner held enough room for the register, an area to work on stuff, her special display counter, and the back room full of supplies which also housed her forging area.

The civilian shop owners around her thought she was nuts since all that guarded her shop at night was a flimsy pull down set of chain links. What they didn't know was those links of chain were made of the strongest steel and the entire place was set with traps that would dye a person bright blue for a month.

The kunoichi entered and Tenten smiled at them. She liked girls who preferred to shop for weapons over dresses. The two nodded at her happily before examining the wall of weapons for sale. Tenten watched them while pretending she wasn't as she went over the weekly weapons magazine in front of her.

"Did you see the civilian girls in front of the juice shop this morning?"

"Yeah, what was that about?"

"Apparently Hizashi-san likes the iced strawberry juice from there and normally stops on his way to the Hokage Tower,"

Tenten lifted an eyebrow in awe. Hizashi had a hoard of fan-girls waiting for him outside the juice shop this morning. She could understand it. Hizashi had Neji's amazing looks with her bright personality which made him the most eligible bachelor in Konoha right now. Her poor son.

"So what, they _waited_ for him to what, ask him out? Like he'd say yes to any fan-girl,"

Tenten held back her laugh at the contempt in the kunoichi's voice. She heard Shun snicker softly from behind her. He might have left school completely but Shun wasn't an idiot like most people thought. He had to learn differently, that's all, and when she had the time to teach him, she did.

"Apparently he jumped on the roofs and ran off,"

"Good for him. He doesn't need that,"

Tenten liked the spunky dark haired girl who said it. The girl was average in height and frame with thick dark hair in a plait down her back and bright hazel eyes. Tenten wondered if Hizashi would be interested in the kunoichi in front of her but decided not to play crazy match-making mom yet. Hizashi would find someone on his own like Hatomi had.

The lighter haired kunoichi flushed as she looked over a katana on display. Her dark haired friend raised an eyebrow.

"He _is_ really cute," the light haired girl said.

The dark haired girl shrugged.

"If you're into tall, beefy men. Yeah, he's got great hair and pretty eyes but you know he's going to get taller and more muscular as he gets older and really, that's way too much for me. I'm more of a hawk person then a bull,"

Tenten bit her lip to stop from laughing. She knew the dark haired girl meant Neji as the hawk. Even though Neji declined the ANBU promotion, everyone still thought of him as one of the ANBU running around with a hawk mask. It would have been the mask they gave him, Tenten knew it.

But he kept saying no. The kids were still too young in his mind plus he enjoyed the spare time he did have to train with his kids or spend time with them. ANBU would take him out of the house for longer missions he'd be doing on his own, more dangerous ones where he might not come back alive. He didn't want to risk it and Tenten was happy for it.

"I don't know, bulls tend to have more stamina than hawks,"

Tenten could tell the girl hawks were known to keep going for extended periods of time too and wondered if the duo even realized which weapon's shop they had entered. She decided it didn't matter. It'd be fun to tease both Neji and Hizashi with all this later.

"Please, hawks can fly over long distances without losing speed,"

"Are we talking about the animal or the person?"

"Both,"

The lighter haired girl flushed deep pink. Tenten laughed and they looked towards her. Tenten grinned at them as the two stared. Their eyes went wide and their lips parted as both went completely scarlet.

"Hawks have tons of staying power," Tenten said with a wink.

"Mom," Shun whined from behind her.

The girls sputtered out apologies but Tenten waved them off with a smile. Both picked their weapons and Tenten happily went over how to take care of the pieces while the girls started smiling. They paid and left with new weapons in tow. Oh she'd have fun tonight.

* * *

"Do you know you're considered a bull?"

Tenten grinned when Hizashi looked up from the book he was reading to gape at her. She saw Hatomi purse her lips to keep from laughing as Neji raised an eyebrow in question. Shi's lips twitched while Shun rolled his eyes and went back to sharpening some shuriken for the shop.

"Huh?" Hizashi asked.

"Two kunoichi came in today and compared you to a bull, you know, all big and strong," Tenten said.

Hizashi groaned and bent forward until his face was hidden in the pages of the book. Hatomi giggled at her brother's plight while Neji snorted. Shi smirked for a moment then went back to a neutral expression while he meditated. Shun ignored her.

"Full of stamina," Tenten went on.

"Mooommm," Hizashi griped.

"They called your dad a hawk,"

Neji hummed at this but a little smile did appear on his face. Tenten winked at Neji and he chuckled. Hizashi sat up properly and stared at her with a pout on his face and furrowed brows.

"I didn't ask to be a bull," Hizashi said.

"No, but I think it suits you," Tenten said.

Hizashi sighed and leaned back until he was lying in the middle of the floor. Hatomi poked his stomach and he grunted at her. Shi opened one eye, smirked, and went back to meditating. Shun said nothing.

"I don't even like leaving the office to get something for lunch because of the stupid fan-girls. It's pretty sad my sister has to get my juice in the morning and my lunch in the afternoon, you know?" Hizashi asked.

"Hn, your mother had to do the same for me some days," Neji said.

Hizashi sighed and Tenten tried not to laugh. Hizashi couldn't help he'd gotten Tenten's dad's genes instead of the Hyuuga genes when it came to body shape. The girl in the shop was right, Hizashi would probably gain another five inches in height and get a bit more muscular than he was now. It wouldn't be good for his Twin Rising Dragons but his Gentle Fist wouldn't be so gentle even without chakra.

"How did you get rid of them?" Hizashi questioned.

Tenten bit her lip to keep from laughing as Neji shrugged. Hizashi sat up to stare at his father and Neji sighed softly.

"I still have some," Neji admitted.

Hizashi groaned and fell back again. Hatomi snorted at him while Shi shook his head. Shi didn't realize it but he too would have a hoard of girls following him around. He was growing into his father's hawk-like looks and fighting style. Hell, Shi probably had fan-girls now and hadn't even noticed.

"You were born with good genes," Hatomi said.

"Yeah, yeah," Hizashi muttered.

"Hn, you could say you are into men," Hatomi said.

Tenten burst out laughing as Hizashi stared at his sister in awe. Neji chuckled and Shun looked up from the shuriken he polished to gape at Hatomi. Even Shi had dropped his serious meditation face to stare.

"I have much fewer fan-boys than I did before I started dating Maiya," Hatomi said.

"But I'm _not_ into guys! And how in the Hell would I start dating a girl if I said I was into boys?"

"Hn, well say you are simply not looking,"

"Hn, that does not help. They tend to try harder,"

All four looked to Neji who let out a breath then to her. Tenten nodded sagely but grinned when Hatomi raised an eyebrow in question. Hizashi stared at her with curiosity bright in his eyes while Shi and Shun had stopped what they were doing. Tenten looked to Neji who sighed but inclined his head. Tenten grinned.

"So, we were what, fifteen? Yeah, and your dad's birthday was coming up and you all know the fan-girls go crazy when it's birthday time. Anyway, Neji said rather loudly to me and Lee in a bunch of places he wasn't interesting in finding a date for some festival coming up after his birthday and was more focused on training.

"Day of his birthday comes and he leaves the Hyuuga Compound to find _dozens_ of fan-girls trying to give him weapons or offering to massage his shoulders after a training session, herbal teas, you name it. They followed him to the training grounds and I had to Twin Rising Dragon them out of there so we could train.

"But every day for a week we'd see them hovering around the field shouting out compliments when he landed a blow or whatever. I mean, they were there at four in the morning just to see your dad work out until he finally blew his top and told them to go away or he'd start liking guys."

Tenten laughed at the memory and the stunned look on Hizashi's face. Neji hummed in agreement when all four looked to him and Hatomi started giggling. Hizashi groaned and rubbed his head. Shi laughed at him while Shun grinned.

"You just wait, you two are gunna have fan-girls too if you don't all ready," Hizashi told them.

Shi snorted.

"Hn, but I'm an Ice King like dad. All I will have to do is glare and they will go away," Shi said.

"And I have weapons and can hide behind Guy-sama in the shop," Shun said.

"Both proven methods to make fan-girls back off for a little while," Tenten said.

"Hn, Green Beasts tend to make most fan-girls reconsider the thought of dating a hawk," Neji said.

Hatomi hummed then looked to Hizashi who had started twitching in annoyance.

"Hn, perhaps you can don green spandex and start talking about youth?"

Hizashi gaped at her then moaned, covered his eyes with one hand, and flopped back again. Tenten snickered at her son while Shi, Shun, and Hatomi laughed at him. Neji had a smile on his face while Hizashi muttered about stupid fan-girls.

"Seriously, it's not like I'm ever going to date any of them. They're all too skinny and probably only want to be with me cuz of my name. Superficial, vain, silly prats," Hizashi muttered.

Tenten got up and hugged him. He sighed at her but accepted the hug. She pulled him back up into a sitting position then ruffled his hair. It fell neatly back into place and he huffed.

"Just wait till you turn sixteen," Tenten said.

"Huh?" Hizashi asked.

"Then the marriage propositions start," Neji said with a shiver.

Hizashi gaped then looked to his father with a frown.

"Seriously?" Hizashi questioned.

"Hn,"

Affirmative sound. Hizashi rubbed his forehead and shook his head. He ran a hand through his hair and considered. Tenten laughed when he made Neji shudder again:

"I should go get a green suit,"

* * *

Haha, poor Hizashi and his following of fan-girls. What'd you expect? These are Neji and Tenten's kids. Reviews welcome.


	42. Orochimaru

**Orochimaru**

 **Author's notes:** Hey guess what? The kids are chunin and we're on chapter 42. This has been a ride, huh? Don't worry. It's not over quite yet.

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs, lesbians, bondage sex, swearing, killing, gore, blood, and violence...there's a reason this is rated M folks.

Sorry for lack of updates. It's been a rough year and really this should've been updated in full way before now. I'm trying to get back into the swing of update because I really don't want to be one of those authors who leaves the story hanging. As a reader of fanfiction, I know how much it sucks.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Mother, father, and Lee-sensei had decimated the fourth base of five, brought another two dozen Akaryuu Rain shinobi back for interrogation on Orochimaru's whereabouts, and were now resting. Hatomi went over the files in front of her but found nothing new. She rubbed her tired eyes and yawned hugely before stretching back in her chair.

Tomorrow, she and Hizashi would be heading to the destroyed fourth base to see what kind of information they could get from whatever remained. Hatomi knew it would be helpful information. Each base tended to hold something the others had not and Hatomi had a feeling this particular base had been a main hub for the entire plan as it was.

They may even find out who Orochimaru worked for or the details of the plan itself. Hatomi could not wait to go on the mission and get to the base. It would satisfy her curiosity as well as protect the Village. Hatomi wondered if Naruto-sama would allow her to keep the research position permanently.

Hatomi noted it was close to ten in the evening, not late by any civilian standards especially on a Friday night but late for her. She needed to be up at six in the morning to leave on the mission. Hatomi put her files back into a neat pile then went about preparing her mission bag for tomorrow.

Ration bars, a few cameras, medical supplies and weapons were separated between two pouches that would rest against her lower back and buttocks. She selected two darker shirts to wear along with a black obi. Two more sets of tights then the clothing she would change into come morning. Hizashi would store her back up clothing in one of his scrolls. She made sure to tuck a second bra and an extra set of panties between the clothes so he would not be as annoyed when she handed them to him.

Hatomi packed her spare toiletries bag then settled into bed for the night. She texted Maiya a swift good night and explanation about the mission but received no reply back. Maiya had likely not arrived back home yet but would by tomorrow night. Hatomi sighed and closed her eyes to sleep.

What felt like moments later her alarm blared to wake her up at three minutes before six. Hatomi got out of bed, grabbed her clothing to change into then went about getting ready for the day. She was at the breakfast table with Hizashi half an hour later and both were fully packed and ready to go.

No words were needed as they ate, cleaned up, and left a note for mother and father. They left the house and took off towards the front gates at a brisk pace. They knew their way to the base as if they had a map in front of them as they had taken this path many, many times. She had memorized the map the second time they went out while Hizashi had taken an extra time or two longer.

Even so, they both knew multiple routes back if a route had become compromised. They knew the layout of this base even without Byakugan activated. They could speak with little glances and could see an enemy well before the enemy came upon them. Hatomi did not doubt they would gather every bit of information they needed on this mission and return relatively unscathed.

This was their fate after all.

* * *

As typical, the fourth base had been located in the densest foliage of the Rain Country, hidden behind naturally formed boulders and in front of a rather large stream. It had been built low to the ground and covered in dark paint and leaves to have it better blend into the surroundings but father's Byakugan could not be tricked when it came to seeking out a building.

Mother had not caved in the roof like she had on the last base and Lee-sensei had not punched a hole through a supporting wall which had made Hizashi and Hatomi nervous with every crack. The base had been left relatively intact minus blown out windows and doors. Hatomi landed beside Hizashi and they ran into the main entrance of the base.

The lights along the walls had been broken by father's Mountain Crusher and some of the walls had been cracked on the inside. Mother's kunai had taken out a few others as Team Guy could fight in small dark spaces like no other shinobi could. The lack of light did not bother her and she knew it did not hinder Hizashi.

Byakugan picked up the smallest amount of light then emphasized it so the user had better than normal night vision, able to see in almost complete darkness with accuracy. Hatomi made note of the empty rooms they passed, rooms meant for sleeping in.

An immense kitchen complete with a huge area for people to eat or lounge in was on their right. Supply closest full of linens and other cleaning materials to their left. A holding cell for those the Rain captured, a few smaller laboratories without filing cabinets but a computer each. Hatomi waited outside of these rooms while Hizashi hacked into the computers and downloaded information.

They continued on once he had finished.

The main laboratory and file room was their target and they hit it in another five minutes of running through the maze. They set to work: Hatomi flipping through files with her camera in one hand while Hizashi's fingers flew over the keyboard of the main computer. Silence except for the light tapping of keys on the keyboard and the clicking of Hatomi's camera.

Hours went by as they systematically went through the entire laboratory, putting the information they saw into the back of their minds for further study later while they kept gathering, forever taking in everything they could before moving onto the next. They finished at the same time and Hatomi let out a breath.

"So precise and quick, too bad you're not on our side,"

Hatomi spun quickly on her heel to see Orochimaru standing in the doorway with a grin on his face. How had they not seen him, Hizashi especially? _Nothing_ tricked Hizashi's Byakugan into not seeing something. Hatomi switched vision fields and saw something of vital importance. Orochimaru disappeared.

"How the Hell," Hizashi muttered.

Orochimaru chuckled as he stepped deeper into the room and Hatomi noticed he wore an all black suit that covered him from ankle to wrist to under his chin similar in style to the Green Beasts but less tight.

"So it worked," Orochimaru said.

"What worked?" Hizashi questioned.

Orochimaru laughed again. Hatomi tensed for battle and scowled.

"Information you won't be bringing back to Konoha,"

He attacked. Hatomi struck out at him as he came towards her first and slammed both palms into the chakra points she knew were in his stomach. She should cut them all off and applied the chakra to them...

Hatomi yelled out as her hands _burned_. Pain raced from her fingertips all the way up to her mid forearms and she drew back as Orochimaru grinned at her. She kicked him in the face, something he did not expect from his surprised look and took several large leaps back. She glanced down at her hands to see pink spots all over them as if _she_ had been the one hit by the Gentle Fist.

She could not get chakra to flow out of her hands without agony ripping through them. Hizashi saw this and got in front of her, Bo out and a slew of weapons all ready flying towards Orochimaru. The snake hissed at the weapons and backed up but Hizashi, like mother, never missed. Orochimaru became skewered with senbon and went down thanks to Hizashi's numbing agent.

"You okay?" Hizashi asked her.

"For now," Hatomi said.

Her hands, wrists, and forearms throbbed in anguish but she would not admit it yet. Hizashi could see it in her eyes though and he frowned at her before staring at the forced-still Orochimaru. Hizashi put his Bo away then scowled.

"We should take him back to Konoha," Hizashi said.

Orochimaru glowered at them, hissing, but he was not a threat so long as Hizashi's numbing agent kept up. They had seventy-two hours to get Orochimaru back to Konoha, more than enough time but Hatomi had her suspicions the snake's body would digest the numbing agent quicker than a normal human.

"Tie him up first," Hatomi suggested.

"And get the suit off," Hizashi said.

"Hn,"

Orochimaru started cursing Hizashi when her brother walked over and began removing the suit. As it came off, Hatomi could see Orochimaru's chakra paths. She frowned at the implications. He had made a special material to block chakra which somehow reverted it back on the user. At least her hands had begun to throb less horribly.

Hizashi stored Orochimaru's suit into one of his scrolls then tied up the snake with a long length of chakra repressing rope. When Orochimaru chuckled, Hatomi knew something would go wrong. She ran in as Orochimaru expanded his neck and bit Hizashi in the shoulder.

Hizashi reacted instantly, right hand striking out laced with chakra and slamming into Orochimaru's right temple. The snake fell to the ground, ripping his fangs through Hizashi skin which made two long swaths of skin tear away from Hizashi's shoulder and collarbone. These began to bleed profusely. Hatomi knelt beside her brother, not caring Orochimaru's chakra paths were slowly fading out.

"Ow, ow, shit, I think it's some kind of poison," Hizashi said.

Hatomi bit her lip and helped Hizashi get his shirt off. She pulled out her med pack to start treating the wounds but her fingers would not move the way she wanted. She could not even open the button on her pack. Hizashi saw her struggle and got the pack open but even so, she could not help him pack the wound. Her fingers went completely numb and unmoving, hanging limply from her hands like dead flesh.

"Hizashi?"

"I know, just, let's get outta here,"

Hatomi nodded and concentrated on keeping her breathing deep and even. She wanted to hyperventilate. She wanted to sit in a corner and cry. Without her hands she was useless.

* * *

Pain had become a part of his day and Hizashi didn't like it. His wounds throbbed from where Orochimaru had bit him then ripped flesh away to make him bleed. His head pounded from keeping his Byakugan activated. His entire body trembled from whatever poison Orochimaru had injected into him. Thankfully, Hizashi's general anti-venom kept the poison back for now so he could make it back to Konoha.

Worst of all these pains was the emotional one of seeing the look of fear on Hatomi's face. She couldn't move her hands. She couldn't get chakra down to her fingertips as it cut off at her elbows. Hizashi could see that it wouldn't flow past her elbows but he couldn't see what blocked it.

Blood flowed to her fingers and hands but she had no feeling in anything below the wrist. Her hands hung limply from her arms like dead fish and Hizashi could see Hatomi struggling not to break down in tears. He wouldn't blame her if she did.

A shinobi's hands were _everything_. If you couldn't create hand seals or throw a weapon then you were useless. For Hyuuga, if you couldn't manipulate chakra to your fingers then you couldn't perform the Gentle Fist. For Hatomi especially, if she couldn't use her hands she would be nothing, literally _nothing_.

There would be no job she could take in the Village as everything revolved around using your hands. She would spend her days locked in a room like a piece of furniture, unable to do anything but speak. She couldn't even fend for herself or help set up camp.

Hell, they didn't set up camp. They had been running since the base and would keep moving until they reached Konoha. With him fighting off poison and her without her hands they were sitting targets. They both knew it and moved at full speed.

He tried not to think of the fabric in his scrolls which had caused this. He didn't want to consider the fact he'd left his chakra binding rope behind with Orochimaru's body. Hizashi didn't want to consider he might have actually killed Orochimaru with that chakra burst to the temple done solely on instinct.

He focused on getting them to Konoha in one piece and breathing. What happened once they were in the Village, well; whatever. So long as they were _home_ and could be looked at by Sakura-sama and Tsunade-sama. They would be able to figure out how to help Hatomi. Kami, they _had to_ be able to help her.

They hit the Gates of Konoha as Hizashi's Byakugan began to sputter and go out. Hizashi didn't care his vision went back to the grays, black and white of his normal world and kept heading towards the hospital. They took to the roofs for a quicker path and people glanced up at them as they passed.

Normal procedure was to go straight to Naruto-sama but Hizashi knew if they didn't get the poison in his veins stopped or Hatomi's hands working _soon_ they might never be able to fix either issue. Orochimaru was like that when he hit someone with something.

People gaped as they landed on the hospital steps but they both ignored civilians and shinobi alike as they burst through the doors and to the front desk where the med-Nin on duty gaped at them in wonder.

"We need to see Sakura-sama and Tsunade-sama," Hizashi said.

He couldn't believe how calm he sounded considering the situation. The med-Nin nodded and picked up the phone on the desk, telling them to go to examine room one. Hizashi opened the door for Hatomi then helped her up on the bed so she didn't fall over. He got on beside her and they waited.

It felt like hours but the clock told him it'd only been ten minutes. Sakura-sama and Tsunade-sama came into the room with Naruto-sama, all looking panicked. They stared for a few long moments and Hizashi could see them mentally asking what was wrong as physically they presented no injuries.

Then Hatomi burst into tears.

Hizashi pulled her close and began explaining over her sobs what had happened in brief, clipped sentences. Naruto-sama gaped while Sakura-sama and Tsunade-sama became serious. Hizashi had to release the suit which Tsunade-sama took to a lab to decipher along with all his and Hatomi's notes. Sakura-sama eased Hatomi out of Hizashi's arms to check on his wounds.

Agony tore over his flesh as she pulled the bandages but he gritted his teeth and kept the expression off his face. He also kept a hand on Hatomi's shoulder as she sniffled on the bed near him. More anguish as Sakura-sama cleaned out the wound then injected a needle into his flesh to get fresh blood for blood work.

She doused his shoulder with general anti-venom to keep him from dying then re-wrapped the wound in fresh gauze complete with anti-septic in it. They were guided into a room and Sakura-sama went to help Hatomi get changed into a hospital gown and lay in bed while Hizashi did it on his own.

Within forty minutes from hitting home they were both lying comfortably in hospital beds after being looked over. He was glad they were able to share a room. He was equally glad he hadn't been stuck with an IV as it allowed him to force his bed into movement so it was against Hatomi's bed.

She turned her tear-filled eyes towards him, chest heaving as she kept hyperventilating in fear. He lied back in bed then put his hand out, resting it back on her shoulder. He managed to smile around the terror and torture in his heart and body.

"It'll be okay,"

* * *

She could not use her hands. His Princess could not use her hands. This thought kept winding through Neji's head as he ran towards the hospital where Hatomi and Hizashi were awaiting treatment to take care of their complex issues.

Hizashi had been poisoned and the general anti-venom had to be applied every six hours or he would die. Sakura had not determined what the poison was even though she had been working on it for twenty-four hours. Shizune helped her but the woman was running between Sakura's laboratory and Tsunade-sama's.

Tsunade-sama had taken all of Hizashi and Hatomi's gathered information to see how in the Hell Hatomi's hands had been paralyzed. It would not have been as horrible had she simply lost the ability to push chakra to her hands. She had the unique ability to be able to force chakra out of any tenketsu point to fight so she could have modified her fighting style.

But no, she could not _feel or move_ her arms from the wrist down. She could not feed herself, brush her own hair, or go to the bathroom without assistance. Neji did not know what to even _think_.

He and Tenten had been scoping out the fifth and final base of the Rain Shinobi and had not returned until a full 24 hours after their children. The Gate guards had told them a brief story and now they ran towards the hospital.

Neji tried not to linger on what would happen if Tsunade-sama could not reverse the effects of whatever Orochimaru had done to Hatomi. He would not consider what would happen if Sakura could not figure out the antidote. Kami, he did not even wish to think about how his children had faced down Orochimaru and managed to kill the man.

Obviously Orochimaru had underestimated Hizashi and Hatomi, forgetting Hizashi had an advantage of long range assault and putting aside the fact Hizashi's instincts was to lash out with chakra on the closest body part. No matter. The snake was dead now and a group of jonin would be retrieving the body.

Neji followed Tenten through the door and to reception where she received the proper room number. They charged through the hallways, not caring how many residents and nurses they had to dodge on the way up and came to a stop in the threshold of the doorway.

Hatomi had her eyes closed, breathing deeply in slumber as her long hair cascaded over the pillows and bed. She had obtained no other injury and it looked as if nothing was wrong. Hizashi had his eyes closed as well but he slept fitfully, eyes rolling behind his lids and body twitching randomly at intervals. Sweat coated his forehead and an IV had been hooked into his left arm to deliver anti-venom directly into his bloodstream to fight off poison.

His skin looked pasty and damp with sweat and his breathing was raspy. The poison was becoming immune to the anti-venom and had likely begun to work through Hizashi's body. Even so, Hizashi had pushed his bed against Hatomi's and kept one hand on her shoulder. Neji let out a long breath before pulling Tenten to him and entering the room.

They collapsed into one chair, him sitting in it then pulling her onto his lap. They did not speak, simply watching their children breathe in the hospital beds. Neji closed his eyes and buried his head in Tenten's shoulder. She curled into him and Neji felt the wetness from her tears hitting his neck.

He kept her close for her warmth and comfort as much for him as for her. Her hands dug into his back and hair, making divots in his flesh but he did not care. Hizashi might die and Hatomi's life may be irreversibly changed forever. Neji felt tears slip past his lashes but did not care. His children were too young to be suffering like this.

Fourteen and chunin they were expected to go out on life-threatening missions but it did not mean Neji had wanted them to come back so injured. They had been invincible as a duo since the beginning, unbreakable, reliant on each other, and always a unit. If Hizashi died...no. Neji would not give the thought the privilege.

He jolted when an exhausted looking Sakura came into the room and noted he and Tenten had been in the room for six hours. Someone had even come in and changed out the bag of anti-venom. Sakura smiled and Neji roused Tenten so she could watch.

"I got it," Sakura said.

Neji let out a breath of relief as she went over to Hizashi and injected him with the proper anti-venom. They all waited as Sakura took off the IV. Hizashi's body stop shivering and he breathed deeper, calmer. Sakura wiped his brow and rested a hand on his forehead. She watched the monitor hooked up to him and Neji saw Hizashi's rapid pulse slowing to normal.

Sakura grabbed the second chair and sat beside Hizashi, watching with her hand on his forehead for another three hours. No one spoke as Hizashi's vitals remained stable and the anti-venom worked. Sakura let out a long breath and gave them a smile.

"Tsunade-sama's close. I'm going to help her now and we'll get Hatomi fixed up," Sakura said.

Neji inclined his head at her then moved with Tenten to the other chair. They sat beside Hizashi, sharing the chair, and watching as he breathed in slumber. His skin had returned to its previous light tanned color and he was no longer sweating. His heart rate was normal and his skin was healthily warm when Neji laid a hand on his arm. Neji kissed Tenten's cheek and she smiled softly.

Her eyes were focused on Hizashi but Neji shifted his vision to look at Hatomi. She had not moved this entire time and Neji had a feeling they had sedated her so she would not keep panicking about the fact she may be permanently disabled.

He heard someone speaking at the door and glanced up to see Yusa enter with Shi and Shun. The twins carried take out and Neji mustered a smile for them as they came into the room. Shun put his bag onto the floor before wrapping his arms around them both and Neji happily hugged his son tight. Shi joined in on the embrace and Neji let out a breath.

"I told them to give you two a bit of time alone with Hizashi and Hatomi," Yusa said.

"Thank you," Neji said.

Yusa glanced over at Hizashi and her eyes widened marginally. A smile broke over her face and Neji saw her relax.

"He's looking much better," Yusa said.

"Sakura just gave him the antidote about four hours ago," Tenten said.

Yusa kept the smile on her face. Shi and Shun helped her drag over other chairs and they began to eat the take out the three had brought. Neji had not realized how hungry he had been until food started going into his body. A wave of exhaustion came over him and Neji failed in holding back a yawn.

"You two should go back home to rest for a bit," Yusa said.

"We're fine here," Tenten said before he could.

Neji inclined his head in agreement. Shun chuckled then looked to Yusa.

"Told you they'd camp out here till they knew both of them were okay," Shun said.

Yusa laughed softly and Neji got a smile on his face. The meal went by well enough. Shi and Shun described their days and Neji felt horrid for leaving the two for the ten or more hours they had been home. He felt horrible for wanting to willingly stay by Hatomi and Hizashi's sides but Yusa revealed Shi and Shun had been practically living at the hospital outside of training or the bare minimum of duties at the shop.

They all jolted when Tsunade-sama walked in with a syringe. Sakura and Shizune came in behind her and Tsunade-sama stood in front of Hatomi's bed for a moment before looking to them. Neji waited for her to speak. Her solemn expression did not make him comfortable.

"I _think_ I've got something to counteract what Orochimaru did but I'm not a hundred percent sure. Either this will restore the feeling and chakra flow to her hands or it'll cut off the blood flow and eventually we'll have to amputate since the flesh will start to die. It's a fifty-fifty chance. What do you want to do?" Tsunade-sama asked.

Kami damn. Neji took a deep breath then looked to Tenten. Lee had two fifty-fifty chances of surviving a procedure or dying and he was going on missions still. Hatomi would hate them if they did not try. Tenten nodded.

"Try it in her left hand. How soon will we know?" Neji questioned.

"If you activate your Byakugan, immediately," Tsunade-sama replied.

Neji activated his dojutsu then noticed Shi do the same. He did not stop his son in this and Tsunade-sama nodded before injecting Hatomi's left hand. The few seconds nothing happened felt like days and Neji would be certain his heart had stopped beating and he could not breathe. Chakra began to flow down Hatomi's forearm and to her fingers, slowly, so slowly, but it _flowed._

"It's working," Shi said.

Neji let a smile break over his face as the chakra made its way through all the proper paths in Hatomi's left hand. Tsunade-sama stuck Hatomi's right hand and Neji watched the same process happen. They waited an hour before Neji pronounced everything normal. He turned off his Byakugan as Tsunade-sama put smelling salts under Hatomi's nose to wake her.

Eyelids fluttered and Hatomi opened her golden eyes. Neji felt Tenten get off him and moments later they stood to Hatomi's left side, watching as she took in the faces of her family. She sat up and blinked, looking around the room with a groggy expression on her face.

"Princess, you have chakra in your hands," Neji told her softly.

He sat beside her on the bed, placing a hand on her lower back. She met his eyes and hers widened. She looked down at her hands, Byakugan activating as she did then bit her lip. Her fingers moved, slowly, cautiously and Neji wanted to laugh in relief as a smile spread across her face.

She ran her hands over the bedspread then frowned. Neji's want to breathe freely left and he saw everyone's faces fall as Hatomi ran her hands over the blankets. She turned slightly and Neji half-jumped when she touched his cheek then his hair.

"I cannot feel anything," Hatomi said lightly.

Neji bit his tongue to keep from crying out in frustration. Tsunade-sama was there an instant later and went over simple motions which Hatomi could do flawlessly. Tsunade-sama took Hatomi's hands in hers.

"Can you feel me touching them?" Tsunade-sama asked.

Neji could see Tsunade-sama running a finger along Hatomi's wrist near her palm but the angle prevented Hatomi from seeing the motion. Hatomi hummed as she considered.

"I feel pressure but not the heat of your finger if that makes sense," Hatomi said.

"Can you feel the texture?"

"No,"

"But you can feel my finger is there?"

"Yes,"

Neji did not know how to take this information. Hatomi could not feel the heat of someone's touch or the texture of skin but she could determine someone touched her. It had to be better than nothing.

Tsunade-sama placed her hands on Hatomi's forearms but Hatomi could feel the heat, pressure, and texture. Hatomi's wrists down to her fingertips were blind to texture and temperature. At least she could move her hands like she had been able to.

"It might come back, but I can't say for sure or how long it'll take," Tsunade-sama said. "We're dealing with an experiment we didn't start and deciphered enough to get you to back on the mend. Don't worry though, I'll look into it. Neji, I'd like to speak to you alone for a minute outside."

Neji blinked but followed Tsunade-sama into the hallway. He wondered why Tenten had not been allowed to come but stopped thinking when he met Tsunade-sama's eyes. Her age came through in her eyes and she sighed heavily before crossing her arms under her bust.

"The suit Orochimaru created conceals chakra completely from _any_ dojutsu and potentially any sensor shinobi. Ibiki will be testing it out with Karin later. Worse, any Hyuuga or shinobi who tries a chakra based attack on the wearer will go through _exactly_ what Hatomi went through. I'm not even sure _how_ he made it but the worst part is it's made from human skin," Tsunade-sama said.

Neji swallowed down his bile. Orochimaru had been walking around in a suit made from another person's flesh. Kami the man was insane. Naruto should have killed him years ago.

"I didn't do a study on _whose_ flesh it is yet but I did see some familiar markers: Hyuuga and Akaryuu,"

Neji took a deep breath as his vision had begun to go hazy. He got control of the fainting spell coming on him and inclined his head. Now he knew why Tsunade-sama had wanted to speak to him alone. He could visit Hiashi-sama alone and tell him what had happened.

"I'll be looking into it further, obviously, and let you know what I find," Tsunade said.

"Thank you. Ah, do you wish for me to wait with this until you know more?" Neji questioned.

Tsunade-sama nodded.

"No need to worry the clan with so little details," Tsunade-sama said.

Neji agreed and they walked back into the room. Neji's head spun but he kept his mouth shut when Tenten gave him a curious look. He noticed Sakura trying to wake up Hizashi but Hizashi wasn't responding. Tsunade-sama and Shizune were there a moment later as Neji watched with his wife and children. Tsunade-sama scowled.

"He's in a coma,"

* * *

A coma. Her happy, bubbly, smiling son was in a coma because of too much anti-venom. Anti-venom that had to be injected into his body every six hours or he would have died from the unknown poison in his veins. Tenten saw the irony in it and wished she could fill it with senbon to calm her rage.

Hatomi had been released within hours but refused to leave Hizashi's side. No one argued with her as Hatomi changed into a clean set of clothes which had been in Hizashi's mission scroll and sat primly on the bed, watching her brother breathe. Tenten and Neji had left Hatomi with Shi and Shun in the hospital and went straight home to shower quickly and take a nap. She had woken up before Neji but took one look at her husband's sleeping face and decided to let him rest a bit longer.

She threw more senbon towards a training dummy she had almost killed. She would have to take her weapons out of it soon so she could finish killing it. Then she'd have to take it down so she could replace it so her kids could use it.

At least two of them anyway.

Tenten shook her head at the unwanted thought and tried to throw more senbon. Her eyes had stupidly gone all blurry and she missed all three of her intended targets by a centimeter. A centimeter meant the difference between a kill strike and a wound. It meant the difference between numbing someone now or in a minute. She never missed.

Tenten went to her knees in the grass with her hands hanging limply at her sides. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks but didn't care. Her son was in the hospital and she had missed her intended target. Neji might as well put her out to pasture now since she was useless.

Tenten sensed charka but didn't turn. When warm arms wrapped around her, she leaned into them and cried into the shoulder presented. Vanilla, forest, _Neji_ and Tenten clung to him as she sobbed. He said nothing but stroked her back gently, humming something under his breath. She could feel his tears hitting her head.

"Hizashi is strong. He will not allow himself to be in this coma for long," Neji said.

She had to believe him. If she didn't then she'd be a snivelling mess for however long it took Hizashi to wake up. Tenten took a deep breath through her mouth and got to her feet. Neji followed her as she tugged her weapons out of the training dummy and put them away. They walked into their home, cleaned up tear streaks then made a huge meal.

The food was packed away in containers which they put in bags. They took off towards the hospital after securing the house and were walking into the room which held their unconscious son and his siblings. Hatomi had shifted into lotus position in the middle of the bed and had her eyes closed in meditation. Shi had taken up the same position beside her while Shun was reading a magazine on weapons to her other side.

Hizashi hadn't moved and his eyes were still closed.

"You guys hungry?" Tenten offered.

Her voice wasn't as cheery as it normally was but her kids said nothing about it. Hatomi and Shi opened their eyes while Shun nodded. Tenten and Neji settled on the chairs in front of the bed and began to distribute the food. Hatomi helped and Tenten watched as Hatomi lifted the still hot soup container but didn't wince.

"Ah, that's hot," Tenten said.

Hatomi looked down at the container in her right hand then placed it on the serving tray Neji and Tenten had brought to keep everything even. The tips of Hatomi's fingers and some of her palm had gone pink from being aggravated by the heat Hatomi could not feel.

"Hn," Hatomi muttered.

Her curious sound as she studied her hand. Tenten bit her tongue to keep back the tears. She laughed when Hatomi shrugged and went back to helping distribute the food as if she hadn't accidently burned her hand without realizing it. At least the burns were superficial.

Besides the little hiccup, dinner went by smoothly. They packed all the food left over into smaller containers or combined containers before putting everything away. Tenten watched Hizashi slumber in his coma along with Neji and her kids and let out a long breath.

The nurses checking in on Hizashi didn't protest when no one moved after visiting hours. Tenten fell asleep upright in her chair as did Neji while Hatomi, Shi, and Shun squished into the single bed. Tenten woke up to the sun in her face and a pair of golden eyes glittering at her from the other bed.

"Hi," Hizashi said.

"Hi," Tenten replied.

She blinked away tears of happiness as Hizashi slowly sat up until his upper body was propped up in bed on his elbows. He yawned massively then shook his head. His hair fluttered around him, shining, thick, and exactly like his father's after a nap. Hizashi sat up all the way then frowned at his groin. Tenten feared the worst. Her laugh woke up everyone else when Hizashi spoke:

"Why do I have a catheter? Wait, someone _touched me_ down there while I was asleep? Aw man,"

* * *

He couldn't believe someone, probably Sakura-sama, had touched him to put in a catheter. Bad enough, someone would have to touch him _again_ to pull the stupid thing out. He tried not to think about it as he ate the food mom and dad had made. Home-cooked meals were the best and he had to concentrate to listen as mom explained why they had all been sitting around waiting for him to wake up.

He'd been in a coma.

To Hizashi it felt like he'd woken up from a really great sleep which he figured what being in a coma was like. He hadn't dreamed as far as he knew but he'd woken up starving. It was good mom and dad had made so much food.

"I cannot feel temperature or texture," Hatomi said.

Hizashi almost died on rice but mom smacked him in the back a few times so he could breathe. He stared at Hatomi who raised an eyebrow at him. She couldn't feel temperature or texture but she could move her hands and get chakra into her fingers.

"Could've timed telling me that better," Hizashi said.

A little smirk came and went on her lips then she shrugged. Father hummed in amusement while Shi grinned and mom and Shun laughed. Hizashi went back to the delicious food.

Hatomi couldn't feel temperature or texture. It meant she'd never feel heat on her hands if they were burning or cold if they were getting frost bite. She wouldn't notice the texture of paper under her fingers or the softness of her own hair anymore. When she and Maiya got together she'd never to be able to know how Maiya's hair or skin felt or if she was flushed from being sick. He wasn't as hungry anymore.

He jolted when Sakura-sama came into the room and for a minute they had a weird kind of staring contest. She smiled and walked over to him. Hizashi had a bad feeling about this even when she gently brushed back the shorter hair falling across his forehead to feel his temperature.

Hizashi tried not to think how Hatomi couldn't do this. Man, he'd take his black and white world over living without feeling in his hands. At least it was just her hands. She could see those and would have to be extra careful, that's all.

"Good, you're not feverish and you have an appetite. Would you guys mind leaving the room so I can remove his catheter?"

Hizashi kept his groan down while Shi and Shun gaped. Hatomi coughed but her cheeks had gone a deeper shade of gray. Dad winced while mom rubbed the back of her head.

"Can I leave too?" Hizashi asked.

Sakura rolled her eyes at him then shooed out his family. Hizashi pouted when Sakura-sama moved his tray then got him to lie back down. Hizashi said nothing as she drained the bag of urine hanging from the edge of the bed. He watched as she washed her hands, dried them then tugged on gloves.

"Spread your knees apart but touch your feet together," Sakura-sama said.

He did. He covered his face with both hands when she flipped off the covers and lifted up his hospital gown. He wasn't wearing any pants. He _felt_ her touching around the catheter and cleaning the head of his dick. Man, talk about mortifying.

"Oh don't be such a baby. I've done this with your dad a bunch of times," Sakura-sama said.

"Doesn't help," Hizashi muttered.

The pressure in his bladder went away and Hizashi blinked behind his hands. Sakura-sama had a hand on him again and another near his cock head. Hizashi gulped.

"You might feel a stinging sensation as I pull this out. It's normal," Sakura-sama said.

He was about to ask how bad the pain would be but she started _pulling_. Hizashi bit his lip as stinging shot through his insides then travelled down his dick and out. Hizashi let out a long breath as Sakura-sama cleaned up. Besides the embarrassment, it hadn't been as horrible as he thought.

"Good, just try to be extra aware of when you have to urinate as you might not feel the need as acutely as normal for a day or two, okay?" she asked.

Hizashi nodded from behind his hands. He didn't want to look at her right now. She snorted at him but he said nothing as she pulled his legs straight then flipped the covers back over him. She chuckled but Hizashi heard her leave the room. He peeked out between his fingers when the door opened again and his family piled back into the room.

At least dad had a blush on his cheeks along with Shi and Shun. Mom and Hatomi looked amused. Hizashi lowered his hands before sitting up. Dad grabbed the tray for him and Hizashi happily ignored the situation in favor of eating. Hatomi hummed and he swallowed the fish he had in his mouth then waited.

She shrugged.

"It could have been worse," Hatomi said.

Hizashi didn't know if he wanted to know what she had in mind. His curiosity won out.

"How?"

She grinned.

"It could have been Tsunade-sama,"

He was about to ask _how_ Tsunade-sama would've been worse than remembered the blond had ample cleavage and tended to wear low cut shirts so when bending down to remove...

Hizashi chucked his chopsticks at his sister. She caught them before they could smack her in the forehead like he intended then winked when mom burst out laughing. Dad pinched the bridge of his nose but Hizashi could see the smile on his face. At least everything was back to normal.

* * *

Ahaha, poor kids. At least they're both _alive_ if a bit embarrassed and lacking feeling. Reviews welcome.


	43. Unnatural

**Unnatural**

 **Author's notes:** So. I never realized how _huge_ this story actually was till I put up a bunch of chapters and saw it going over 130,000 when _Life, Love, and Genin_ is around the same but with more chapters. Oops? Ah well.

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs, lesbians, bondage sex, swearing, killing, gore, blood, and violence...there's a reason this is rated M folks.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Hatomi said nothing as the jonin in front of her, Hizashi, Naruto-sama, and Shikamaru-sama gave his report. The man had deep bags under bloodshot eyes. His face had the pallor of exhaustion on it while his clothing showed signs of the wear and tear of a tough mission. He stood alone when it should have been him and two others.

He had been the youngest of the team to go retrieve Orochimaru's body, his third jonin mission and Hatomi had a feeling the man would not wish to take anymore. He had seen a battle no normal shinobi should have and looked as if he would vomit then faint and never wake up. Hatomi knew Orochimaru had an effect on people but this disturbed her.

"His body was right where it was supposed to be, all wrapped up in the chakra rope and just _there_ on the floor. He wasn't breathing or moving or anything but when we went to grab him, he, he,"

The jonin went to his knees, clutching his head as he sobbed. Hatomi frowned. Hizashi stepped away from his pile of notes and knelt beside the man, placing a hand on the jonin's middle back. Shikamaru-sama squatted beside the man as well with his hands tented in a thinking position. He still smoked but it drifted upwards.

The jonin took a long breath and let it out slowly. He lowered his hands and they rested on his legs as he stared at the floor in front of him. Hizashi and Shikamaru-sama did not move from their positions. Hatomi had a feeling they were grounding the shinobi but she did not dare ask at the moment.

"His mouth stretched out like a snake, so fast none of us realized then he bit Hiro's head off,"

Hatomi kept her wince back but saw Naruto-sama scowl. Hizashi balked but Shikamaru-sama remained impassive. The jonin shivered. Now Hatomi knew where the blood spatters came from.

"He got out of the rope. I think all he did was slither out of it like a snake then he started attacking. I, I, don't even _know_ what jutsu he used but he just kept knocking me aside as he tore Yama apart bit by bit. When he was done he told me to go back to Konoha and let Naruto know this wasn't over,"

Hatomi bit her tongue when the man began seizing. Froth came up from his lips and his eyes rolled back into his head. His body bent backwards at an unnatural angle. Hizashi had leaped back while Shikamaru-sama stood casually and took two wide steps back. Hatomi grimaced when the man's spine _snapped_ from how far back he went while the rest of his body began curling towards itself.

The jonin began clawing at his flesh with his hands, ripping down his face until rivers of blood flowed freely down his cheeks. Shikamaru-sama scowled, took two steps forward then glanced to Naruto-sama. Naruto-sama sighed heavily but nodded. Hatomi barely caught her gasp as Shikamaru-sama stabbed a kunai into the man's temple.

The jonin's body collapsed, dead, and unmoving. Hatomi felt bile in her throat but swallowed it down as she glanced towards her brother. Hizashi had his lips pursed into a thin line and his eyebrows furrowed. His skin had taken on a greenish hue as if he would vomit within a few moments but Hatomi did not blame him.

"Jutsu?" Naruto-sama asked.

"Probably. I'll get Ino to look over the body," Shikamaru-sama said.

He all ready had his phone out and was tapping buttons. Hatomi took a deep breath to clear the spots in front of her vision and leaned back a little further in her chair. Naruto-sama was rubbing his temples wearily. His frown was deep and no one spoke. Shikamaru-sama's voice broke the silence for perhaps a minute and ten minutes later, Ino-sama strode into the room with two other med-nins.

Hatomi watched as the body got rolled onto a stretcher, strapped into place then carted out of the room all under Ino-sama's guidance. Shikamaru-sama went back to his spot beside Naruto-sama's desk and Hatomi frowned. Back to work then. She went back to typing out the information they had taken into some form of order without trying to read what she typed.

This task proved to be monumentally tedious.

The details of how Orochimaru had made the flesh suit and the experiments he had done on willing Rain shinobi to get both the Akaryuu "passed on" and the suit made were heinous. She did not linger on them but knew her brain had absorbed the information to store for tonight when she went to sleep.

She tried to bypass pondering what Orochimaru planned to do with Hizashi if Orochimaru ever captured her brother. The man had lost all touch with sanity long ago. Why Naruto-sama had not killed him irked her to no end.

"So, this time we're shooting to kill?" Shikamaru-sama asked.

Hatomi looked up from her screen and stared. Naruto-sama ran a hand through his hair and let out a long breath. He looked older than his thirty-four years in this moment. The role of Kage aged a person prematurely especially when it came with being the Kage of one of the Five Nations.

"I don't want to but this will be the second time we have to beat back Sound and Rain along with Orochimaru. We shoot to kill this time. No one gets a third chance," Naruto-sama said.

Hatomi could see in his eyes how much he loathed saying it but would not blame him for it. Now if they could figure out how to properly kill Orochimaru then Hatomi might be able to sleep soundly tonight. Perhaps if she took one of the sleeping pills Sakura-sama had discretely given her she would not have nightmares.

* * *

Hizashi rubbed his tired eyes as he strode along the darkened streets of Konoha. Hatomi had given up an hour ago and gone home. Naruto-sama and Shikamaru-sama had kicked him out of the office two minutes ago to get some sleep as it was eleven at night and he'd be back in the office come eight in the morning.

Maybe he'd train for a few hours before going in. It would get his body moving and relax him before dealing with deciphering the code Orochimaru had used to hide the identity of his boss and the details of the plans on how everyone planned to destroy Konoha. He would need to beat the crap out of a target if he wanted to get the image of Shikamaru-sama killing the insane jonin.

Hizashi wished he had not been in the room to see _that_ but there was nothing he could do now. Staying up late hadn't helped as much as he thought. He'd have to deal.

Hizashi strayed from the path he normally used at night because he was too damned tired to take the extra five or six minutes to get home. Sure, the market district would be busy this late at night because of the bars but he didn't feel like bypassing it for the quiet houses. Maybe the noise would help him block out some of the horrors.

The crowds around the bars were thick but Hizashi stayed to the middle of the street, head up and eyes focused forward on some middle distance as he put one foot in front of the other to get home to his nice warm bed. Mitsuki was taking the cot tonight. Hizashi tried not to think about what would happen if Mitsuki was being a really good actor and waiting for some secret signal from his insane dad before attacking Hizashi.

It wouldn't take much for Mitsuki to knock out Hizashi while Hizashi slept especially if Hizashi had become used to Mitsuki being there. Maybe Mitsuki should go live with someone else for a little while. Hizashi sighed. He'd feel bad for asking.

"She likes chicks, dude,"

Hizashi perked up a bit and his steps slowed as he found the person who had spoken. Okay, there were a ton of girls in the Village who were out as liking girls. This guy didn't have to be talking about Hatomi.

"She does? But she's so fucking hot,"

"I know but she's with that chick from Suna. The one with the trench knives,"

Okay. There weren't any other women dating a woman from Suna who happened to use trench knives. The guys were two yards in front of him and three yards to Hizashi's left. They hadn't noticed him.

"Man that sucks. It's so, so,"

"Wrong?"

"Yeah! And unnatural,"

"Gross,"

Hizashi gritted his teeth as he came into line with the guys. He couldn't go beating the crap out of every person who bad-mouthed his sister. He also didn't need to get into an argument with complete strangers in the middle of the night.

Okay, he could admit to being a little shocked Hatomi wanted to be with Maiya but he wouldn't call his sister unnatural or gross. What she was doing wasn't wrong. She was in love and love was never wrong. And yeah, okay, civilians saw the world differently than shinobi. Civilians never really understood what it meant to _live_.

They didn't face death. They didn't leave the Village. They didn't know or have to worry about an immortal, crazy, snake-man destroying the Village or how to stop him. They didn't have to kill someone else in order to live. They didn't get it.

Worse yet, they never would. It was one of the reason shinobi rarely dated civilians. Being with someone who didn't understand the fact you had to kill another person so everyone else could live, that you might die to protect your country...

Hizashi let out a breath as he passed the men talking about how gross and wrong it was for a woman to be with another woman. Hizashi would bet the two looked at that kind of porn on the internet though because it got them off. The deeper Hizashi got into this whole Orochimaru issue the worse he thought of the people around him.

No wonder shinobi didn't even have many civilian friends.

Hizashi kept walking and turned out of the market district and into the urban sprawl where he lived. The streets were much quieter now and Hizashi relished in it. The quiet did not last long. Something whistled and the house two away from where he lived exploded.

Hizashi gaped in awe at the flaming building then looked up as he activated Byakugan. More bombs were coming, falling from the sky like meteors and aiming straight towards the homes around him and the market he had left.

As bitter as he felt towards the civilians he couldn't let them die.

Hizashi unleashed a scroll and leaped into the air while flinging out his bombs to slam into the ones coming towards the homes. Explosions sounded through the air as the bombs went off a dozen yards above the closest house. Fire and shrapnel still rained down but at least people were running out of their homes now, heading towards garden hoses to put out the minor damage on roofs or on grass.

Hizashi saw four shadows leave his house and spotted mom, dad, and Hatomi heading towards the main district of Konoha to protect the villagers there. Mitsuki was coming towards him. Shi would likely stay in the house to protect it and Shun.

"Hizashi!"

Hizashi landed a top a roof and scowled at the mess of papers he'd left of the ground in his haste to protect the villagers nearest. Oh well. There wasn't anything too important, just his rambling notes. He could pick them up later.

"We're to head to the main area!"

Hizashi nodded but did wait for Mitsuki to catch up. It didn't take long before they were running towards the Village core. More bombs were raining down but most, if not all, had aimed towards the Village core. That district was a literal ball of flames.

Hizashi could hear the screams of injured or dying Villagers from here. He could smell the burning flesh, taste it on his tongue as people were caught aflame from the assault. He could feel the prickle of heat on his skin as they neared and the stinging sensation in his eyes from the ash around him.

Hizashi untied his hitai-ate then re-tied it over his eyes. He ripped the sleeves off his shirt, combined them then tied then around his mouth and nose. Hizashi leaped into the flaming streets. He saw Mitsuki tie fabric around his mouth as well before Orochimaru's son jumped in after him.

Hizashi ignored the other shinobi for now and went to the nearest burning building. He Vacuum Palmed the wall of flames out of his way. The force of his chakra put out the fire at the front of the building and four civilians came outside, shivering in tattered burned clothes with ash marks all over their faces along with burns.

Hizashi guided them towards a genin who was rounding up civilians and taking them to the base of the Hokage Monument for protection. He watched them go as he moved onto the next building with chakra paths inside.

Two survivors this time while cradling the body of a child between them. The child had taken the bomb's hit as his little body was burned from foot to almost chin, charred black with skin sloughing off in places to reveal white bone beneath.

"You have to help our son," the woman said.

Hizashi steeled his heart and pulled both mother and father to their feet. The bomb had hit the child's room. Hizashi tried not to look at the little corpse as he pulled the parents up.

"There's nothing we can do," Hizashi said.

"No, no, no, no, no," The mother wailed.

Hizashi frowned as mother and father went back to their knees while sobbing over their child's body. Hizashi forced them to their feet again and the body fell to the floor. Both screamed in agony and tried to get out of his grip but Hizashi was a shinobi.

"Leave him, I'm sorry, but we have to go," Hizashi said.

"What's the point? Our son is dead!"

Hizashi stared at both through his hitai-ate. They looked back at him, glaring with rage, agony, and pain in their eyes while tears rained down their cheeks to make rivers between the ash on their faces. What could he tell them?

A shinobi's point in living was to protect the Village. They sacrificed limb and life to make sure people like these could live. But what _was_ the point of civilians? Why did they have to live? Hizashi took a breath and let it out slowly.

"Every life is important and anyone we can save is a person who can help rebuild and protect so this doesn't happen to anyone else,"

It worked. Both came with him then went with another genin to the Hokage Monument. Hizashi heard more whistling and looked up. The central district couldn't survive another assault. All the shinobi in the area would be hit along with the civilians they hadn't gotten out of here yet. He couldn't let that happen. Time to do his job.

* * *

Now she understood why mother and father slept in the nude more often than not. It would have been a lot easier and quicker for her to get dressed if she had not had to take off pyjamas when the first bomb hit. Hatomi had left her obi behind, tugged on her tights over her pyjama shorts and her bra over her pyjama shirt before pulling on a random top on backwards.

She caught a brief glace of her brother knocking away the bombs near their home before heading towards the river of flames that had become the main district. Hatomi caught father tying his hitai-ate around his eyes and did the same. She had hardly remembered to grab it off the night stand.

Mother gave her a mask and Hatomi put it in place over her mouth. She spotted Mitsuki heading for Hizashi like mother and father had instructed. Shadows fluttered on the roof tops ahead and Hatomi re-focused her vision. Rain and Sound hitai-ate.

"Hit to kill, one strike," father said.

Hatomi nodded. They parted, father towards the group running for the Hokage Tower and mother to the group heading to the Hokage Monument. Hatomi was left with the group running along the roofs to intercept Konoha shinobi, genin retrieving the survivors, and sped up.

The six did not see nor hear her coming. They did not have her Byakugan and the roar of flames proved to be too loud in the night. Hatomi slammed the palm of her hands into the backs of two, cutting off all the chakra towards their hearts which made the two drop dead. She hoped they had suffered in the brief instant.

She saw the others turn but had all ready began moving. One received a kick in the temple which made all the chakra paths in his brain explode, killing him in a second. Another got a kick to the chin where she routed the chakra to his brain stem. This caused his body to fall off the roof and into a burning building below.

Hatomi all ready spun in mid-air while the others tried to stab her with kunai. It was not difficult for her to do an aerial Revolving Heaven then burst out her chakra which caused both to fly through the air, wailing, then slam into burning buildings. She made sure both would not be getting up, watching them flail as they were cooked to death then turned.

Her next targets were four hundred meters off and on the street. The four Sound shinobi were kicking and teasing a group of genin who stood in front of a mass of a dozen injured and frightened civilians on the way to safety. Hatomi took off.

She landed behind the four Sound shinobi and slammed her palms into their backs which again made their hearts explode. She had to run to the other two but they came at her instead of going to the genin who gaped in awe. One leaped up and Hatomi saw the sound wave coming at her. She spun on her heel into a half Revolving Heaven which knocked the other Sound shinobi away and blocked the attack from above.

Hatomi shifted as the Sound shinobi came down and kicked him in the face which broke both his cheeks bones and nose but more importantly killed the chakra paths to his brain which made him die. The other was up now and coming at her with two slender blades. He whipped them through the air which caused a high pitched sound to force her to cover her ears.

She kicked him in the knee which broke his leg and he fell over with a yelp Hatomi cut short by stomping on his throat. Her hands came away bloody and all Hatomi could hear were ringing sounds. She shook her head to try and clear it but nothing happened.

Hatomi was fairly sure she spoke, telling the genin to get away, but she did not hear her voice. They nodded though then ran towards the Hokage Monument. Hatomi felt the earth trembling under her and looked towards the source.

Kami.

Naruto-sama had unleashed the Kurama. Sasuke-sama had released his Susanoo which worked to deflect any bomb trying to destroy Konoha and protected civilians. She saw Choji-sama in _giant_ form swatting bombs away from the Village Gates and crushing enemy shinobi in his hands. Kiba-sama and Akamaru had combined into a massive three-headed wolf which took the brunt of bombs as well as took down enemies.

Two separate Twin Rising Dragons were going on, one near the Monument and one in the main district. A large snake fought _for_ them while many ink birds dive-bombed enemies. Sound and Rain did not stand a chance and she did not see half of her mother and father's generation fighting on the ground.

Hatomi scanned for the next set of enemies and found two heading on the ground towards the Hokage's office. Hatomi went after them with a grim smile in place. No one would destroy _her_ Village.

* * *

Bombs kept raining down on them and Hizashi hadn't had a choice but to hit them with his senbon to make them explode prematurely. Choji-sama and Kiba-sama did a lot to block most of them but the Village was huge. They needed a lot more Choji-sama or Kiba-sama in order to protect the entire Village.

He spotted Mitsuki's summon fighting with them then a giant slug appeared off to a side. Either Tsunade-sama or Sakura-sama had unleashed her summon. Hizashi saw other Hyuuga, eyes and mouths covered running through the Village gathering the injured or blowing out fire with the Vacuum Palm.

He landed on a roof but there were no more bombs. One bonus, that's for sure. He scanned the area to see _hundreds_ of Rain and Sound shinobi jumping over the Gate and into the Village. Kurama roared in rage but the enemy kept coming over the Gate. Hizashi ran that way and took stock of the scrolls he had on him.

He had two left with projectile weapons, about 1000 weapons in each scroll then his main scroll with his katana, Bo, nun chucks, a set of trench knives, his battle axe, and a few other close range weapons. Okay. So he could take out a couple thousand shinobi before resorting to hand to hand combat.

Something blew a hole in the Village Gates. More enemy shinobi ran through and Hizashi wondered if Orochimaru had cloned them. He shook his head. He wouldn't put it past Orochimaru to do something like that. The Shin Project had been all about making clones out of one man.

Hizashi hit the former Gates of Konoha and pulled out one of his long range scrolls. Enemies went down as he threw senbon, shuriken, and kunai into the middle of foreheads or into the Adam's apple of anything moving with an enemy hitai-ate. Hundreds went down at his projectiles but he kept going until he ran out of weapons.

Then he moved onto his next scroll.

When his last scroll became empty Hizashi pulled his katana into his hands and leaped. Chakra danced along the blade as he moved, slicing down as many enemies as he could. Enemies started to come at him but a Revolving Heaven took them out when there were too many. Hizashi noticed the sky brightening as he fought but for once did not stare at the plethora of color being revealed in his normally dim world.

At some point he had been joined by Shikamaru-sama, Ino-sama, Genma-sama, Anko-sama, Kakashi-sama, Lee-sensei, Sarada, Chocho, and Boruto. They all joined him in the fight, watching his back as he watched theirs or helping him when he needed. Finally, when the sun was at its six in the morning position the flow of enemies stopped completely.

Hizashi pulled the mask from his face and pushed his hitai-ate onto his forehead as he stared around at the pile of bodies. His katana was soaked in blood, dripping onto the ground beside him as he breathed heavily to watch the rising sun.

"Yeah? Good,"

Hizashi turned to see it had been Shikamaru-sama speaking into his cell phone. The Nara shinobi had a more definite sag to his shoulders, dark circles under his eyes, and a torn, dusty, and bloody outfit. Everyone around did. Hell, Ino-sama was missing at least a foot of hair while Chocho was as slender as Sarada which looked plain weird.

"Everyone's been cut down who has to be cut down. We lost two jonin, six chunin, four genin, and 1,035 civilians," Shikamaru-sama said.

Hizashi frowned. It hadn't been _too_ bad considering how late the attack had come and the sheer amount of enemies they had fought. Twelve shinobi wasn't that bad. Shikamaru-sama shook his head.

"Fifteen jonin are injured, twenty-four chunin, and ten genin. Over five thousand civilians have injuries ranging from minor to critical,"

Okay. That wasn't great. He jolted when Shikamaru-sama looked at him. Shikamaru-sama scowled then rubbed the back of his head.

"Your dad and sister are among some of the injured," Shikamaru-sama said.

Hizashi opened his mouth. Dad and Hatomi had been hurt. Hizashi closed his mouth, nodded then hit what remained of the roofs, running towards the hospital as best he could. The med-nins had created a barrier around the hospital which was the sole reason the place was standing now.

He leaped through the barrier and into the chaos of the hospital. Med-nins ran back and forth between stretchers set up in the main lobby, stretchers which held burned civilians, bleeding shinobi, screaming of both, dying of both...

Hizashi let out a breath and searched through the main lobby while standing in one spot. So many injured were in one place. The cries of kids, of grown people as they had to have their wounds disinfected or worse, limbs amputated because the burns were too server. Those who came in missing limbs because they had been hit by a bomb, those with crushed limbs from falling buildings, those with gashes over the chest, a Hyuuga with a long horizontal gash across the eyes...

Hizashi took in a breath then let it out. Not dad or Hatomi that one. The bare forehead and lack of breasts helped him determine that. Hizashi spotted a familiar chest and almost burst out laughing.

Hatomi's shirt had been burned away and she sat primly on her stretcher with a roll of gauze wrapped around her chest to give her some semblance of decency. She had ash across her face but her golden eyes were bright, observing everyone around her with a single raised eyebrow. Her tights had been cut up in a bunch of places and she had some superficial burns and scratches along both arms. A nasty looking burn, second degree, was across her right side from a little bit above the waist of her tights to under the bandages around her chest.

Her long hair had been hit by flames in a few places and Hizashi figured she would have to cut it to at least her waist. Jeez, that would be over a foot of hair. Even so, she was alive and not too horribly injured. Hizashi made his way to her, letting the medics run around him as they needed. She nodded to him when he got in beside her then sat on the stretcher with her.

"How'd you get that?" Hizashi asked.

"Hn, I went into a home to save a family and they got out but a beam fell on me. I Vacuum Palmed it off," Hatomi said.

He winced. That must've hurt. She shrugged at his wince and he took a good look at her. Her fingertips were burned from chakra-use and there wasn't an inch of flesh that didn't have a scratch, bruise, or minor burn. The side with the burn had gone kind of purplish around the red flesh and Hizashi was sure Hatomi had some fractured ribs despite how proper she sat.

"So, you've been fighting topless since?" Hizashi questioned.

She smirked and snorted.

"They cut it off me when I got here," Hatomi said.

Oh good. At least Hatomi hadn't been exposed for long. A medic came by, sprayed something on Hatomi's side which made her narrow her eyes then started checking him over. Besides some tears in his close, dried blood that wasn't his, and forgetting to put away his katana, he was fine.

"Have you seen mother or father?" Hatomi asked.

"No, dad's in here somewhere I think. Shikamaru-sama told me him and you were hurt," Hizashi said.

He yelped when she swatted him. He dropped his katana too but Hatomi waited till he picked it up and made it poof away.

"Dolt, then go find him as you know I am fine," Hatomi instructed.

Two minutes younger or not she knew she was the boss of him. Hizashi pouted but she rolled her eyes at him. He gave her a gentle hug which she hummed happily about before scanning the area for dad. Wherever dad was, it wasn't in the lobby.

Hizashi walked away from Hatomi knowing she would be fine and headed to reception. The med-nin there had wild hair around her head, immense eyes that kept darting back and forth, and nibbled on her lip. Hizashi met her eyes and she gave a little start.

"Ah, Hyuuga Hizashi, right? Oh, um Hatomi is um, in the lobby somewhere," she said.

"I found her and she's okay as she's gunna be. I'm looking for my dad, Hyuuga Neji," Hizashi said.

She nodded briskly a few times then started scrambling through some papers in front of her. She cursed softly as she dropped a bunch of them. Hizashi went around the desk and helped her pick some up and she thanked him. She found what she needed while they were still kneeling in front of each other on the floor.

"Oh! Second floor in room 132," she said.

Dad was in a room. Hizashi thanked the woman and handed her back her papers before heading to the stairs. Dad was in a room on the second floor which mean either dad was seriously injured or had come for surgery or was being prepped for it. He had to be seriously injured then. Hizashi took off running as quickly as he could.

He skidded to a stop in front of the proper room to see mom sitting on a chair, sharpening a kunai while dad tugged his shirt back into place. Hizashi almost tripped over his own feet walking into the room and stared. He couldn't help pointing at dad who raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're okay!"

"Hn,"

"Well, yeah,"

"But he's in a room!"

"Did you _see_ the lobby?"

"Hn,"

"Arg,"

Hizashi rubbed his head before falling onto the bed beside dad. Dad chuckled at him before wrapping a bandaged arm around Hizashi's shoulders. Dad had a light grin on his dirt-smudged face and some gauze wrapped around his right forearm and left bicep. Besides these and some rips in his clothes, he was fine.

"Hatomi's in the lobby," Hizashi said.

Dad nodded and they got off the bed. Mom followed as they bypassed running medics and people being guided into rooms to Hatomi who sat on the same stretcher with her hands beside her watching. She nodded to mom and dad when they got to her.

"Ouch, that looks like it stung," mom said when she caught sight of the wound on Hatomi's side.

Hatomi shrugged.

"Two cracked ribs under it with some bruising. It was either this or have the four civilians inside the building become cooked to death," Hatomi said.

Mom nodded then kissed Hatomi's forehead. Hatomi hummed then smiled when dad sat beside her, on the left, and pulled her into him. Hizashi let out a breath then almost fell over when mom put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go make sure Shi and Shun are all right," mom said.

Hizashi nodded. Dad and Hatomi were fine and would be taken care of now. But yeah, making sure Shi and Shun were good would be great.

* * *

Tenten let out a breath of relief when she found home intact. The house two down hadn't been so lucky and a few places had burned patches on their roofs or grass. She walked in through her front door to see Shi and Shun sleeping on the couch, a blanket tossed over their bodies as they slept snuggled together with Miruku.

She smiled at her youngest sons, one not even a genin yet while the other wouldn't ever be. Miruku heard them first and poked her head out from under Shun's arm to blink her single eye at Tenten. The cat squeaked which made Shi's eyes snap open. He caught sight of them then sat up.

Shun yawned as he woke up, blearily looking at them for a moment until he realized who they were. He was up and off the couch a moment later. Tenten tugged him into her arms and Hizashi came without prompting. Shi came after a moment.

"What happened? Where are dad and Hatomi?" Shun asked.

"The Sound and Rain attacked but we pushed them back. Your dad got some minor cuts and burns on his arms but he's okay and at the hospital. Hatomi got a bunch of cuts and burns that will heal up in a week or less but a really big one on her right side that'll take longer to heal. She'll be okay though," Tenten said.

"Can we go visit?" Shun questioned.

"It's too packed in there," Hizashi said before she could.

Tenten did nod at her youngest sons when they looked to her. She went about preparing a quick breakfast then got all three to go to bed. Hizashi insisted on showering first which she didn't mind. She did find it hilarious he automatically went to the en suite.

She had a kunai in her hand when her door opened and Mitsuki, covered in dirt and grime stared at her. He smiled, a lot less like his father every day then ran a hand through sweaty, dirty pale blue hair. Tenten put her kunai away then smiled.

"You did good," Tenten said.

"Thanks," Mitsuki said.

"Here, grab something to eat then hit the shower before hitting bed, okay?"

"Sure, thanks,"

Mitsuki's blue pants and clinging white shirt were covered in tiny rips, some burn marks, and dirt. He wore his hitai-ate proudly though and thanked her with a low bow when he was finished with eating. By this time Hizashi was coming into the kitchen carrying his dirty clothes. Mitsuki patted Hizashi on the shoulder before walking off.

"Do we bother to save these?" Hizashi asked.

"I'll give it a go," Tenten said.

Hizashi grinned.

"You are stupidly good at sewing," Hizashi said.

She swatted him in the shoulder then pulled him in for a hug. He was solid under her, all tough muscle, warm skin, and unbroken bones. Kami she never thought she would want to keep hugging him for so long. At least he felt the same.

"I'm so glad you, your sister, your brothers and dad are all okay. Well, and everyone else," Tenten said.

"Me too," Hizashi said back.

She gave him a final squeeze before letting him go. Hizashi smiled at her and she wondered when her little boy had become able to look _down_ at her in bare feet. Hell, his shoulders were doubly wide across then they had been last year and his arms and legs were thick with muscle. The little boy he had been was no more and Tenten missed it.

"So, I'm going to need like four thousand senbon, about the same with shuriken and kunai, and some chakra absorbing netting, trip wire, numbing agent, poison and some scrolls," Hizashi said.

Tenten laughed at him but nodded. Of course the next thing on _her_ son's mind would be replacing his arsenal. Never mind he had two dozen or more scrolls stashed away in his closet. Nope, the ones he lost had to be replaced.

"No problem. But first, go sleep," Tenten said.

He stuck his tongue out at her then ducked into the laundry room before giving her a backwards wave as he headed towards his room. Tenten shook her head at her son before going about putting the few left overs away and washing the dishes.

She checked in on all four boys when she was finished to seeing her three kids and Mitsuki sleeping deeply, peacefully, and Tenten smiled. Okay, so they'd been attacked and lost a lot of civilians and shinobi alike. They had survived though, her entire family and her friends plus most of Konoha was still intact. They would be fine.

* * *

Like I'd kill off any of my mains. *winks* Reviews welcome folks, I live off them.


	44. New

**New**

 **Author's notes:** Still planning to end this in like six chapters. It'll still be huge. And it's still a long way to go. Where did the kink sex go? Pft, no clue. Focus has swapped from Neji and Tenten to the kids which makes sense as they're ya know, getting older and stuff.

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs, lesbians, bondage sex, swearing, killing, gore, blood, and violence...there's a reason this is rated M folks.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Hizashi strode through the streets of Konoha. A week after the bombs and minus a few structures sill being re-built, it looked like nothing had happened. The bulk of the major repairs had been done, everyone who could be saved had been saved, and life had gone back to some semblance of normal.

Well, not totally. For one, the Village had seen Mitsuki fight _for_ them and not against them so they started to treat him better. He was looking for an apartment for himself, not far from the training grounds or far from the foster family he probably didn't want to leave. Hizashi didn't mind having the guy around, really, but he kind of wanted his room back.

Hizashi wanted privacy for the times he came home at night. He spent his days surrounded by people: the Green Beasts and his sister or the Hokage, Hokage's Right Hand, and his sister with an army of shinobi coming in and out. Hizashi needed time to unwind and be _alone_.

Not that he did anything weird when he was alone, but hey, he was a teen boy and sometimes he got certain urges that couldn't be taken care of when someone was in the room. It was awkward enough waking up with another guy in the room when you had a raging hard-on from a graphic wet dream.

Besides, the attack had made him realize a few things.

The first was their Village could come under fire whenever so long as Orochimaru, his boss, and the enemy lived. This put everyone in the Village at risk of dismemberment or death.

Second, he'd come _really close_ more times then he wanted to count to losing people he cared about. This was a problem because there were a few people in his group of friends he hadn't exactly told how much they meant to him.

Finally, he really was a dolt. Hatomi would be amazed he admitted it but he'd never let her know he used her (most of the time) playful insult. He wasn't that stupid.

He'd been waiting too damned long to do something he should've done two years (or more) ago and hey, life was short and all that. He couldn't keep putting off and besides if this went negatively then at least he wouldn't have to keep wondering all the time and he could focus on something else.

Hizashi took a deep breath and walked towards the door of the Uchiha home.

He had to take another breath before he could raise a fist. He'd faced down the Forest of Death, Ibiki, the Suna desert during chunin exams, enemy shinobi, Orochimaru for crying out loud, but he couldn't knock on a stupid door.

Hizashi hit the door then winced. Okay. He'd hit it way too hard. He knocked again, a little softer this time then waited. Ah man, this was stupid. Why was he doing this? Oh yeah, you could die at any moment and hey, you only get to make a fool of yourself once so why not do it when you're young and can blame it on being a horny teenager? He should just go. No one was probably home and...

"Oh, hey Hizashi,"

Hizashi stared. Sarada had answered the door wearing a pair of dusty gray shorts which hung loose at her hips and were kept up with a worn string. A white tank top with small sleeves covered her top but it too was dusty and worn. A gray bandana graced her head to keep her bangs out of her face and Hizashi spotted some flecks of dust on her glasses.

He'd obviously caught her in the middle of cleaning since she wore slippers on her feet along with what he would consider clothes a person used to do chores in. He couldn't get over the fact her hair had become long enough to sling in a pony tail. She'd been growing it out since the first chunin exams but kept it layered in a cut that framed her face awesomely.

"What's up?"

Right. He was supposed to be talking not staring at the girl he'd had a crush on for at least two years now. Man, he had this entire speech planned and recited it in his head all last night and this morning. Now he couldn't think of a single word of it. Stupid brain.

"So, um, I was wondering why you, ah, don't like talk to me anymore? I mean, I know it's kind of a stupid thing to be worried about but um I think this is the first time we've had a conversation in like a year which is really crazy. Yeah we've been super busy and stuff but I don't know what I did to make you mad at me but whatever it was, I'm really sorry.

"I mean it, really, really sorry, cuz, um, I've kind of had this um, thing, erm, crush, I mean, I like you and it really sucks that you're not talking to me and never meeting my eyes. They're creepy yeah but you always used to at least look at them, you know? So, um, what did I do?"

Yeah. Talk about throwing eloquence out the window. He'd even been waving his hands around like an idiot and now Sarada stared at him with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. She had stiffened though and her cheeks had started to go gray. He'd _embarrassed_ her. Great.

"Um, sorry about being so, er, forward but I wanna make things right between us, you know?"

He had to stop talking. He did when Sarada smiled, took a step forward so she could grab his shoulders then got up on her tiptoes and put her lips on his. Oh.

 _Oh wow._

Hizashi wrapped his arms around her waist and bent into the kiss, closing his eyes as he did and moving his lips against hers. He tried _not_ to think about how she could probably feel how great this felt to him because his groin was kind of pressed against hers and he'd gotten all hard. He also tried not to linger on the fact her boobs were pressed against his chest and she wasn't wearing a bra that he could tell.

He could focus on how warm and soft her lips were. He wanted to memorize how _awesome_ it felt to have her pressed against him like this and how his head had started spinning with how great this kiss was. Ah man, her hands were tangling into the hair at the base of his neck and it made him shiver.

He ran his hands over the back of her shirt then down to her hips and back again. She trembled against him and opened her mouth. Hizashi took the opportunity when it came and pushed his tongue into her mouth. She tangled her tongue with his and Hizashi almost fell over right there. She probably wouldn't care.

So much _heat._ He wanted to take all his clothes off right now and feel how soft her skin was. She didn't even seem to care he had put his hands under her shirt at her lower back and was rubbing her spine with his fingertips. Hell, she'd started pushing her hips against his which made all sorts of tingles shoot through his body.

It felt so right and not just because he was a teenager getting open-mouth kissed for the first time. He felt, well, better than he ever had in his entire life and never wanted this moment to stop. Hell, the world could end and he'd die happy.

"Hyuuga,"

Uh-oh.

Hizashi pulled back the same time Sarada did and she half turned to stare at Uchiha Sasuke: her father. He stood in the sitting area of the house with narrowed eyes and a scowl on his face that would _kill_. His Sharingan had activated too which wasn't good. Now all Hizashi's stupid body wanted to do was stand on the front step like the dolt he was. Yeah, he should've asked Sarada to go talk to him alone somewhere.

"What are you doing to my daughter?" Sasuke asked.

The air around him felt like it dropped a few billion degrees. Hizashi took a step back and gulped. Sarada stood in between her father and the door when Sasuke started walking towards it. Hizashi spotted Sakura-sama peeking out from a bedroom.

"Oh, hey Hizashi," Sakura-sama said.

"He was kissing Sarada," Sasuke mentioned.

Yep. He might as well go put his name on the Memorial Stone now. Maybe if he ran fast enough he might make it to see fifteen. He stared when Sakura-sama gasped then started giggling. Apparently this wasn't in Sasuke's reactions for his wife either since the Uchiha looked stunned.

"Aw, really? That's so _cute,_ " Sakura-sama said.

Silence and Hizashi seriously considered becoming a missing nin for a few moments.

"Cute? He was _kissing_ our daughter! With tongue!"

Sasuke pointed at him with his remaining arm. Hell, Sasuke's voice had cracked and Hizashi hadn't realized the Uchiha could be so, so, embarrassed? No way.

Hizashi knew he should be running since he had a great opportunity but somehow seeing this argument or whatever kept eating as his curiosity and he couldn't move from the spot if he tried. He wanted to try. Kind of.

Sakura-sama rolled her eyes then came further down the hallway while Sarada groaned and leaned against the door frame with both hands over her face. It gave Hizashi the perfect view of Sakura-sama shaking her head at her husband before leaning an arm on his shoulder.

"So?" Sakura-sama questioned.

Sasuke sputtered a few times.

"She's fourteen!"

"And?"

"She's too young to date!"

"But she's old enough to die for her country?"

"That, that's not the! Sakura!"

"Sasuke, she's _fourteen_ , and a chunin which means she's old enough to lead other shinobi to their deaths. _That_ means she's old enough to kiss the boy she likes with or without tongue. And hey, it's Hizashi. At least we know him and we know he's got all that Hyuuga decorum ingrained into his blood so he's not going to do anything she doesn't want,"

"But, but, kissing!"

"Yes dear, that's what people who like each other do,"

Hizashi barely stopped his laugh. He saw Sarada had sunk to the ground on her butt and curled up into a little ball of embarrassment. Sasuke was pointing at him with his arm lifting up and down like it would help make his point clearer. His mouth was opening and closing in tandem to his arm and Hizashi wanted to whip out his camera to get a picture of the look on Sasuke's face because it'd probably be worth _millions_.

"But, but, she's too young! And he's, he's, gah," Sasuke tried.

Hizashi _felt_ the spike in chakra and leaped away from the door as Sakura-sama slammed a fist into her husband's face with a shout of "She's old enough you idiot!" At least Hizashi had gotten his body to move.

Yeah, it'd gone from being entertaining to scary. Hizashi kept running and glanced back enough to see Sakura-sama now shaking her husband from the collar in both hands as she yelled at him about Sarada being old enough to make her own decisions while Sarada stood gaping at them from the threshold of the doorway.

Well at least he'd gotten his entertainment ( _and_ a kiss) for the day.

* * *

Hatomi sipped on her strawberry shake as people spoke around her as if the Village had not been threatened a week ago. Consequently, Naruto-sama had requested the presence of the Kage. As Gaara-sama had been away in the Earth Country when the message had been sent out, Gaara-sama and his escort had arrived this morning.

No matter.

Maiya had been assigned to escort duty permanently which meant every time Gaara had to come to Konoha or go to a monthly meeting, Hatomi would see her as Naruto-sama's personal escort and researcher. As such, they sat in a quant ice cream parlour sipping on milkshakes while the Kage rested for the day.

Hatomi had dressed up for the date of sorts in a pleated black skirt paired with a pink blouse which had a sweet-heart neckline and small little white buttons down the front with no sleeves. She wore gold hoops in her ears, gold bangles on both wrists and gold non-shinobi sandals which had straps wrapping around her legs to mid-calf. She also wore a bra which did not offer as much support and Maiya had obviously been able to tell.

A pink and gold headband kept her now lower back length hair back away from her face but for two sections which framed the sides and tickled against her shoulders. The hair-dresser had offered bangs but Hatomi had declined. Hyuuga bearing their forehead meant much even now and she would show her forehead proudly.

Maiya wore deep blue shorts which skimmed her mid-thighs with a fitted crop top tee-shirt that showed a wonderful two inches of Maiya's tanned, toned stomach. She had gotten her navel pierced. Pity Hatomi could not see it through the table at the moment. Maiya had forgone a bra as well as her breasts were an A cup at most. Hatomi could see the pebbles of her nipples though the bright blue shirt.

Hatomi let the straw of her shake fall out of her mouth and licked her lips. She was happy Maiya's eyes followed her tongue and gave Maiya a little smile as the red-head fiddled with the straw in her chocolate shake.

"So, I managed to get a room to myself," Maiya said.

Hatomi stared as Maiya grinned at her. Well. Perhaps they could _finally_ have some much deserved alone time. Video messaging could go so far and Hatomi wanted to...she scowled.

"What?" Maiya asked.

Hatomi did not feel the coldness of the glass in her hands or if there was any heat on the table. She did not know if the glass was wet or the table had anything sticky on it. Alone time or not, Hatomi could _not_ feel the softness of Maiya's flesh.

"Hey, there are other ways to feel. And it means we can be really creative," Maiya said.

Hatomi blinked then chuckled. Of course Maiya would know exactly what to say. This reason was why Hatomi enjoyed being with the other woman. Hatomi tried not to let her thoughts stray far but Maiya shifted a bit more forward in the chair which tightened her shirt over her breasts and outlined her perked nipples more. Hm. Perhaps they could get their milkshakes to go.

"Urg,"

Hatomi almost fell out of her chair when Sarada collapsed into the other chair at their table. Hatomi stared at her friend for a few moments as Maiya almost choked on her milkshake. Maiya got over the shock but had to wipe her mouth.

Sarada had used this time to collapse across the table with her arms spread out so her hands hung over the edge opposite to her. Her face hid behind her arms as she sagged in distress. Hatomi had no idea what would cause Sarada such agony.

"Sarada?" Hatomi ventured.

"Your brother kissed me," Sarada said.

Her, Hizashi. Ah, Kami damn it. She should have paid more attention to what he planned to do with his first day off in months. Hatomi had been trying to keep the duo apart for father's sake for years now. All her efforts were shot to Hell.

"And that's _bad_?" Maiya questioned.

"No, he's a really great kisser and I've liked him for a while. I had no idea he liked me back,"

Hatomi stiffened when Sarada tensed. Sarada sat up, Sharingan activating and stared at Hatomi. Damn.

"How _didn't_ I know Hizashi liked me back?" Sarada asked her.

Maiya coughed then squeaked when Sarada's single tome red eyes landed on her. Maiya shivered then started waving her hands back and forth in a placating gesture. Sarada huffed then went back to staring at Hatomi.

Mother and father always said her bluntness happened to be an excellent feature. Hatomi supposed it would be best to test the theory.

"I did not tell either of you the other liked each other for my father and mother's sake. Not to offend but they both have a strong disliking of your father and any relationship between you and Hizashi may not be taken well," Hatomi said.

Sarada blinked then went back to scowling at her.

"Don't you think me and Hizashi should be making the decision of whether or not we're going to piss off our parents, not you?"

Hatomi opened her mouth then closed it. She took a breath but did not shift her gaze.

"I did not want to see either of you hurt by anything my father could have come up with," Hatomi said.

Sarada sighed heavily then shook her head. She crossed her arms under her bust and glared at the table. Hatomi bit the inside of her lip and watched her friend consider. Sarada met her eyes again but the Sharingan had left them. Ah a boon, good.

"I'm glad you wanted to protect us but we can take care of ourselves and you know it,"

"I know. I apologize,"

"Yeah,"

Sarada rubbed her forehead as she leaned forward on the table again. Hatomi risked a glance towards Maiya whose eyes were wide and her lower lip caught between her teeth. Sarada sighed and shook her head.

"Anyway, my papa caught us then started arguing with my mama about me kissing boys to which mama punched him into the street and started shaking and yelling at him. I got changed and left when mama started saying something about how many awesome kids me and your brother would have while papa just kind of stared at her like he didn't know what to do,"

Hatomi had no idea what to say. She pushed her strawberry shake across the table to Sarada the same time Maiya shoved her chocolate shake to Sarada and Maiya offered the extra straw she had accidently taken. Sarada giggled but thanked them both.

Hatomi let out a breath and looked to Maiya who shrugged. Hatomi had no idea what to tell Sarada but did know she would avoid going home. Hatomi did _not_ want to be in the house when father and mother found out Hizashi had kissed Sarada who had kissed back.

"Well, was it good?" Maiya questioned.

Hatomi raised an eyebrow at the red-head who grinned at Sarada. Sarada grinned and began to flush.

"Yeah," Sarada said dreamily.

Maiya laughed as Hatomi rolled her eyes. She did not need to know how well her brother kissed or not.

"Well, if he's anything like Hatomi," Maiya said.

Sarada spat chocolate shake across the table as Maiya sighed in delight. Hatomi chuckled at her lover then laughed when Sarada groaned and rubbed her head.

"Jeez," Sarada said.

"Hey, we can compare and everything," Maiya said.

Sarada gaped at her then looked to Hatomi for help. Hatomi shrugged.

"She has a point," Hatomi mentioned.

"Oh my Kami! It'll mean we'll all be related when we all get married," Maiya went on.

Sarada whapped her head off the table. Hatomi snorted then smiled at her lover who winked at her. Perhaps the interruption had not been completely horrible.

* * *

Tenten lounged happily on her couch while cool summer air blew over her from the wide open sliding doors. Hizashi was out doing something or another while Hatomi would be on a date with Maiya which would end with dinner here before the girls would head to Maiya's hotel. Neji was still miffed about Hatomi going off to sleep alone in Maiya's hotel room but Hatomi casually mentioned she had spent the first day they were technically together alone in Maiya's apartment.

Hatomi had also mentioned, much to Tenten's amusement, neither she nor Maiya could get pregnant no matter what they did and besides, didn't her father know a thing about webcams? Neji had almost died on rice while Tenten laughed at him and the four boys at the table went beat red.

She heard wind through the wind chimes she had hung off the porch this year and grinned at the tingling bells. Heck, even Shi and Shun were out of the house today. Shun was at the shop with Guy-sensei while Shi had decided to go with his brother for once. Mitsuki had training to do with Inojin and Chocho in preparation for the next chunin exams where the trio hoped to climb the ranks with their friends.

Tenten ran her hand through Neji's soft hair and grinned at her napping husband. He had his head resting high on her stomach, close to her breasts and had sprawled so his face looked towards the door. His left hand hung off the couch with the fingertips brushing the floor while the right cradled her neck. His legs were entwined with hers and Tenten could feel the cotton on his low-riding jogging pants against her shorts-clad legs.

She wore a tank top and he wore no shirt. She didn't mind at all since she could rub the bare flesh of his lower back while running her other hand through his hair. Hell, even Miruku slept in a spot of sunlight on the floor, belly up with her paws in the air, and her tongue sticking out of one side of her mouth.

The tranquil moment was ruined when Hizashi ran into the house and let the door slam shut behind him. Neji jolted over her then lifted his head from her stomach as he blinked at their eldest son. Tenten stared at Hizashi who leaned against the door, back against it, hands splayed across the middle, and panting as if he was in some kind of trouble.

Golden eyes were wide and he had activated Byakugan. Long hair was a mess as if he'd been running at high speeds. He was sweating and staring as if someone was about to burst through the door to hurt him. Weird.

"Problem, sweetie?" Tenten asked.

"I went to Sarada's house and we kissed and Sasuke caught us then Sakura-sama punched him in the face cuz he was saying Sarada's too young to be dating and Sakura-sama didn't agree so she started yelling at him and I ran away so she wouldn't start hitting me or something because holy crap she's scary when she's mad,"

His words came out in a rush and if she hadn't spent twenty-three years around Lee then she would've never understood a word. But Lee had a tendency to talk really fast when he was excited so she understood every word.

The ones that stood out the most were "we kissed." Tenten felt Neji tense atop her. This wouldn't be good.

"You and Uchiha Sarada _kissed_?" Neji asked.

Tenten grabbed the hair at the nape of his neck so he couldn't think of getting up. He easily pulled out of her grip, half-dragging her with him as he got to his feet and stared at Hizashi. Tenten fell back onto the couch and saw Hizashi's jaw drop.

"Um, yeah. I've liked her for a few years now and apparently she likes me back which is pretty damned awesome except for the whole Sasuke seeing it and the argument," Hizashi said.

Hizashi had caught the anger in his father's voice and tensed further than he had been when he first ran into the house. Neji _radiated_ anger. Tenten got to her feet and stood in front of him. He looked right _through_ her to Hizashi.

Okay, she didn't like the thought of Hizashi being in a relationship with Sarada but they couldn't outright stop him. Hizashi was fourteen, plenty old enough for a shinobi teen to be making his decisions alone. Hizashi was allowed to (and had) kill people.

Still.

Neji _hated_ Sasuke from the moment the bastard had left Konoha willingly twenty-two years ago. Sasuke was the reason Neji, Lee, Kiba, Naruto, and Choji had almost died. Sasuke was the reason Konoha had been destroyed. Sasuke was the reason they had a Fourth Shinobi War in the first place and Neji wanted no part of helping the Uchiha line.

"Do you have _any idea_ what she represents?"

Hizashi blinked as his lips parted and his Byakugan shut off in shock. His head tilted to a side as his eyebrows furrowed and he thought about it.

"Um, she's nothing like her dad. You know that, right?"

"She is still an Uchiha,"

"You're really going to go all Hyuuga decorum on me?"

Tenten winced at Hizashi's question. She pushed against Neji's chest to keep him in place but he shoved past her. Tenten saw Neji's Byakugan activate as he stalked up to his son then stared _up_ into Hizashi's eyes. Woah. When the Hell had Hizashi gotten taller than his father?

"Her father is the reason I almost died, _twice_. He is the reason the Fourth Shinobi War even happened, why Naruto has one arm, why so many lost their lives in the war, why people you _know_ almost died, and represents _everything_ wrong about raising a child. And you want to associate with the cursed name?"

Tenten tried not to think about how _Neji_ looked like the child. His slender, hawk-like frame seemed way too frail against Hizashi's broader, taller bull-like frame. In a physical fight without chakra or weapons, Hizashi would beat Neji to a pulp without an effort.

Hizashi stared at his father in wonder then his eyes widened, his Byakugan activated, and his lips turned down into a snarl as his eyebrows slammed together. His fists clenched at his sides and Tenten gulped.

"She's also Sakura-sama's daughter too, you know. And yeah, Sasuke's a major jerk but Naruto changed him like he changed you,"

Tenten winced. Chakra boiled through both of them, she didn't need Byakugan to see it. She could feel it. The way Neji's jaw had tensed and the way Hizashi had started to stand told her all about how ready the two were to fight.

"I _refuse_ to associate with the Uchiha name in any way," Neji spat.

"It's not like we're getting married," Hizashi said.

Tenten gasped as Neji moved too quickly for Hizashi to register. One arm came up and rammed against Hizashi's throat so Neji forced Hizashi back into a standing choke hold. The other hand rammed into Hizashi's solar plexus which forced Hizashi to shift downwards, held up by his father's arm.

"Neji," Tenten got out.

"I _will not_ have my own flesh and blood even _consider_ being with any offspring of that damnable Uchiha,"

Tenten yelped when Hizashi gritted his teeth then slammed a fist into Neji's face. Hizashi hadn't been able to get a great angle but Hizashi had Lee's sheer strength, maybe a bit more because of Hizashi's sheer size. The punch forced Neji back until he landed on his ass, back smacking against the sitting room wall so hard a few weapons and books fell off the wall.

"Hizashi!"

Tenten hadn't realized her voice could get so shrill. She couldn't ever remember sounding so scared or upset either. Hizashi took a deep breath then let it out slowly as Neji slowly got to his feet, one hand on his jaw (all ready bruising) and the other behind him to support his body upright.

"You don't have the right to go all Hyuuga Main House Elder on me and tell me who I can and can't date. I won't let you,"

 _You do not have the right to tell me who I can and cannot be with. I will not allow it._

Besides the grammar, the same kind of words Neji had thrown at Hiashi all those years ago when Hiashi had found out about her and Neji. She saw Neji's eyes widen and his entire body went tense before going completely limp. All the fight went out of him as Neji slipped down the wall to land on his butt with his legs spread before him, still holding one cheek.

She looked to Hizashi who stared, his eyes reflecting complete confusion as his body went from coiled to strike out to cautiously tense. Tenten went to the freezer to grab an ice pack before kneeling beside Neji. He took the ice pack with a hum. She said nothing as Hizashi slowly came over and watched as her son lowered his body onto the floor in front of his father's bare feet. Hizashi's head tilted to a side as he sat cross legged on the floor.

"Did you feel a spark when you kissed her?" Neji asked.

Hizashi blinked then flushed. He nodded. Tenten saw Neji's eyes tear up a bit but said nothing.

"Did it feel right when you held her in your arms?"

Another nod from Hizashi who looked more curious by the moment. Tenten bit her tongue as she placed a hand lightly over the one Neji used to hold the ice pack to his cheek. Neji scoffed but closed his eyes.

"Did you feel this unexplainable warmth, this sense of pure euphoria?"

Hizashi's cheeks went a deeper shade of pink but he inclined his head. Tenten kissed Neji's temple as Neji hummed then sighed hugely. Hizashi bit his lip as Neji considered. Tenten let a small smile split her face when Neji chuckled.

"Fate," Neji said.

"Hey, you know the rule about you and that f-word," Tenten said.

He snorted at her. She saw Hizashi looked painfully confused. He understood a moment later and Tenten saw his lips part and eyes widen.

"That's how you felt with mom?"

"Hn,"

"Oh, _oh_ , huh,"

Tenten giggled as Neji smirked then winced. Tenten rolled her eyes at her husband.

"And there's the fact you just punched your father in the face for the permission of dating her," Tenten said.

"Right," Hizashi muttered.

He sat up straight then gaped. Tenten laughed as Hizashi rubbed the back of his head and looked towards the floor with red cheeks.

"Sorry dad,"

"Hn,"

Neji's forgiveness sound. Tenten kissed his temple again and he thanked her with a little hum. Hizashi let out a breath.

"So, um, you're going to hate this no matter what, right?"

"Hn,"

Tenten let out a breath as Hizashi sagged at Neji's agreement sound. Neji huffed.

"But I will not get in the way if you truly do care so deeply for her. You punch damned hard,"

Tenten laughed at the look of awe on Hizashi's face. Neji chuckled then grunted when Hizashi hugged him tight. Tenten joined in on the hug and hoped Hizashi knew what he was doing. The Uchiha name wasn't what it used to be. She trusted her son's judgement though. And besides, he was at the age where Tenten and Neji had to learn to let him (and Hatomi) make mistakes and victories on their own.

It sucked but they'd have to get used to it. They weren't babies anymore but four years away from being full-fledged adults. Tenten hugged Hizashi a bit tighter and blinked away her tears. She'd miss the kid but couldn't wait to see the adult.

* * *

"Well that was a bit awkward,"

Hatomi nodded at Maiya's assessment of dinner. No one had needed to ask why father had a giant bruise across one side of his face complete with swelling and a few loose teeth. Obviously Hizashi had told mother and father about kissing Sarada, father had become upset which caused Hizashi to punch him.

The fact there was now a crack in the wall would not be spoken about. The argument had been settled as both seemed entirely relaxed with each other. Hatomi let out a breath. Hizashi would be able to date Sarada, at least father and mother would allow it. Whether Hiashi-sama or even Hanabi-sama would even consider the pair would be an entirely different and complex issue.

"So, what do you think?"

Hatomi looked around the average sized sitting room attached to a medium sized kitchen. A set of double doors across from her led towards what she supposed was the bedroom with attached bathroom. For a hotel room it did not have the air of importance or unlivable quality most rooms did.

The couch looked comfortable, dark blue material and the television stand did not look new nor did the television resting on it. Even odder a hotel would have a bookshelf along the left wall with such a large window above the kitchen sink.

Hatomi strode through the front room and opened the double doors. The room was a fair size, large enough for the Queen sized bed and a night stand to either side. The window was again, across from her as this particular room sat in a corner. The closet along the wall with the door surprised her with its size.

The en suite three piece bath would be the same size as mother and father's en suite which was not horrid. Even so, there did not seem to be any complimentary soaps or a hair dryer nor was there a phone on one of the night stands. The lamps did not even match and the alarm clock looked oddly familiar to her.

"Hn,"

"Not impressed?"

"How are we to order room service without a phone?"

Hatomi raised an eyebrow when Maiya giggled at her. Hatomi accepted the hug Maiya gave her and hummed in confusion. Maiya caught the sound and squeezed her a little tighter in the hug.

"It's not a hotel room, silly," Maiya said.

Hatomi pulled back a bit then tilted her head to a side. If this was not a hotel room then...ah.

"An apartment?"

"Yeah,"

Hatomi did not know what to say. They had not discussed Maiya leaving her life in Suna to live here. Hatomi felt her heart speed up and her mouth go dry. They were barely in their teens. Living together? What in the world was Maiya thinking?

"I mean, for me. I'm going to be here at least a week out of every month so, yeah,"

Hatomi blinked then opened her mouth. She started chuckling. Ah. Maiya was thinking of convenience not them moving in together. Maiya patted her back then kissed her cheek.

"And in like, five or more years, maybe somewhere you'd move into with me?"

Hatomi smiled and nodded into Maiya's shoulder. The hug lasted for some time but Hatomi had no qualms about it. She did shift enough so she could press her lips against Maiya's. Maiya hummed into her mouth and one hand migrated from Hatomi's back to the back of Hatomi's head.

Hatomi wrapped her arms tight around Maiya's waist and sent little chakra flares through Maiya's back, hitting pleasure points which made Maiya moan into Hatomi's mouth. Hatomi had no issue with walking backwards until her knees hit the bed. They fell onto it, Hatomi landing on her back with Maiya atop her.

Maiya's other hand went under Hatomi's shirt but Hatomi had no problem with this even when the hand skated under her bra. Hatomi gasped when Maiya pinched her nipple. She opened her legs but Maiya put one leg between Hatomi's open legs. Hatomi understood a moment later when Maiya pushed their hips together.

Hatomi pushed Maiya's shirt up and Maiya happily took off the shirt, throwing it to a side before tugging her hand out from under Hatomi's bra to undo the tiny buttons. Hatomi had no issues sitting up so her shirt could come off and chuckled when Maiya struggled with the clasps on Hatomi's bra.

"Having issues?"

"Jeez, there's like three of them back here, the Hell?"

"Hn, I have larger breasts so need more support,"

"Yeah I know but damn. I'm going to cut it off with a well placed wind slice in a minute,"

"Then you owe me four hundred ryo,"

"Ouch,"

"Hn,"

Hatomi unclasped her bra then tossed it aside. She raised an eyebrow when Maiya sat back and stared at her. Hatomi decided to take in the smooth tanned flesh, the darker brown nipples coming to hard pebbles, the glittering navel ring, and all the flesh uncovered by the removal of a flimsy piece of fabric.

She jolted when Maiya grabbed Hatomi's breasts in her hands and squeezed softly. Maiya's shocked look didn't make sense. Maiya had seen her naked many times before this.

"Why are you so stunned?"

"I know you're big but off the screen they look so much better, like, wow,"

Hatomi laughed then pulled Maiya down for a kiss. Hatomi tried not to think too long on the fact she could not feel Maiya's flesh under her fingers. She had to tilt her hand a bit to feel it across the skin of her wrist and forearm. Ah, flush, soft, and silky. Hatomi hummed joyfully when Maiya thrust against her.

She pushed the button out of the hole in Maiya's shorts then tugged the now offending garment down and off of Maiya's shapely legs. To Hatomi's surprise, Maiya wore nothing under the shorts. Maiya laughed at her before whipping off Hatomi's panties from under her skirt. Hatomi smirked then flipped them over so she was on top.

"Oh that's a great angle,"

Hatomi quirked an eyebrow from her position sitting up straight and straddling Maiya's upper right thigh. She rested her hands on Maiya's breasts then started moving her hips. Kami, it felt amazing!

Hatomi closed her eyes as her folds and her clitoris rubbed against Maiya's naked thigh. She twirled Maiya's nipples between the fingers of both hands as Maiya grabbed Hatomi's breasts in her hands and began massaging. Hatomi shifted her leg so Maiya was able to get more traction on Hatomi's skin and Maiya thanked her with a low groan.

Hatomi's knee was soaked from Maiya's juices but Hatomi did not care. She sped up her thrusts as she pinched and rotated Maiya's nipples in her fingers. Maiya removed one hand but it was back a moment later, moist from her spit to cause Hatomi's nipple to throb.

Ah Kami, this was much better off the screen. Hatomi opened her eyes when Maiya's non-damp hand left her breast. Hatomi watched as Maiya's hand went down, pushed under Hatomi's pushing hips then touched the sensitive nub of flesh.

Hatomi let out a little yelp of pleasure and arched forward. She lowered one of her hands and pushed it between her knee and Maiya's groin. Hatomi could not feel how damp Maiya was or how hot but did not linger on it as she pressed her index and middle finger against Maiya's clitoris before shifting it into smooth circles.

They did not last much longer and Hatomi let out a little yell of adore which became drowned out by Maiya's louder call when they hit their climax then fell. Hatomi sprawled across Maiya, panting and feeling Maiya's skin against her entire body.

"Wow," Maiya said.

"Hn,"

Hatomi chuckled when Maiya grabbed her ass then flipped them over. Ah yes. They had needed this alone time.

* * *

*cough cough* Guess I have to add f/f sex to the warning, ne? As always: reviews welcome.


	45. Timeless

**Timeless**

 **Author's notes:** So, I stopped writing for this before November of 2015. It was _really_ hard figuring out where I was going with it but I got it. But...y'all are gunna hate me. Sorry, not sorry :P

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs, lesbians, bondage sex, swearing, killing, gore, blood, and violence...there's a reason this is rated M folks.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Winter had come upon them in a rush this year and he loathed it. Going on missions became much more difficult as snow left the threat of tracks, took away most food sources, and made it difficult to stay warm with a small campfire. Leaves were off the trees which meant it became more difficult to hide or seek shelter from the massive trees which grew in Konoha and its surrounding areas.

Snow did mean in a handful of months his eldest children would be turning fifteen. Neji allowed a small smile to grace his lips at the thought. His eldest children would be fifteen in three short months. It felt like yesterday Hatomi had been clinging to him while trying to speak for the first time. Now she dated a kunoichi from Suna, one year her senior, and had become Naruto's personal research assistant as well as information gatherer.

Hizashi had gone from a little boy who liked knocking over the blocks he stacked to dating Uchiha Sarada and holding the same position as his sister when it came to his career. Hizashi also stood at six feet and an inch in height with shoulders twice the size of Neji's and built stocky like Ibiki, Kiba, and Kankuro.

Neji knew Tenten's father had been a large man, over six feet tall and so broad in the shoulders he may not have been able to fit through some smaller than normal sized doors. Neji had never dreamed Hizashi would get this genetic trait. He did notice Shi and Shun going through a growth spurt as well. Both were taller than Neji had been at going on twelve.

Neji did not mind his sons would be taller than him. The Hyuuga Gentle Fist combined with Guy-sensei and Lee's Power Style made Hizashi a deadly fighter no matter what the opponent. The Hyuuga and Tenten's techniques took care of Hizashi's mid and long range assault. Neji knew ANBU would be looking into Hizashi when his son turned sixteen. Hopefully by then whatever Orochimaru and his boss had cooked up would be over.

He hoped it would be over with this mission but knew it would be too much to wish for.

Orochimaru had hidden well but Hatomi and Hizashi had found a clue. Naruto sent them out to investigate but this time had Neji go along with them. One Hyuuga was horrid enough for an enemy. Now there would be three of them, one of which could switch styles to overwhelm a particularly tedious opponent.

"Should be around here somewhere," Hizashi muttered.

Cold air plumbed in front of his face for a few moments as he spoke but it was gone swiftly because of their speed. Hizashi, like Neji and Hatomi had his Byakugan activated but he might be the one to see the hidden base before Neji and Hatomi. The structure was going to be underground as well as coated with the same sort of material (skin though Neji tried not to linger on it) which would block any chakra paths. Nothing could trick Hizashi's Byakugan as he saw in color. He could see the difference between the material and the earth around it and he would be the one to see through the material and to the people hiding underneath it. Orochimaru had never planned to face down a Byakugan user like Hizashi.

"There, 100 meters north-west," Hizashi said.

Neji adjusted his vision but spotted nothing. He knew his son's eyes could not be tricked, not even by the Akaryuu. Neji followed Hizashi through the dead trees with Hatomi beside him. Hizashi stayed a step ahead since he could see the base. They stopped after a few moments and Neji saw Hizashi frowning.

"It's huge," Hizashi said.

"And?" Hatomi questioned.

Hizashi shook his head while Neji watched. They were somewhat concealed by the white hooded cloaks they were. Neji had never been so happy to be blessed with skin and eyes which blended in with the snow. Hizashi huffed.

"There are at least two thousand shinobi in there, half of them with Akaryuu. Orochimaru's there too. Massive lab with _kids_ floating in tubes and they all look the same which means Orochimaru's creating another army. It also looks like he's making more of the suit he wore when we met him. If the entire army is outfitted in that,"

Hizashi paused here with a scowl. He did not have to say it. Neji could fill in the rest of the thought, anyone could. The Hyuuga clan would be useless against an attack from an army who had armor which repelled chakra back at the user. Most shinobi would be at a major disadvantage as it meant using no chakra to strike at enemies. Weapons and taijutsu alone would work but they did not have enough Green Beasts or Tenten.

"So, what's the plan?" Hizashi asked.

"We sneak in," Neji said.

His children looked to him and Neji let a smirk come to his face. He reached into the pouch on his side and gave Hizashi a piece of paper and a pencil. Hizashi understood immediately and began sketching out the building in front of them. It took a long while and Neji hummed when his son was finished. Hatomi's eyebrows furrowed slightly and Neji knew what she saw.

One way in and the same way out. No back door or way they could simply allow Hizashi to make an escape for them lest the entire building cave in on them. The single door, wide enough for one man to slip through at a time, sat in the middle of the area littered with shinobi who ate, drank, and sparred.

"No sneaking in," Hizashi said.

"Hn," Hatomi agreed.

Neji inclined his head. They could not get through the single door of sorts without detection unless they could become invisible. There were other ways which would extend the mission but Neji did not mind.

"We will wait and observe," Neji said.

Hizashi smiled and Hatomi hummed. They made a camp of sorts at the base of a wide tree, half hidden under its protruding roots. Hizashi kept watch on the building and they waited in comfortable silence. Hours bled into a full day which bled into a second day. By the time the sun rose on day three, Neji felt cold, tired, and annoyed.

"Same as yesterday: everyone milling about, Orochimaru making more clones but no one leaving the place. Means no surprise attack on at least one of them to steal an identity and going back in," Hizashi said.

They could not wait forever. Neji let out a breath and looked at Hizashi. Hizashi raised an eyebrow then a slow grin came to his face. Amber eyes lit with new light and Neji tried not to think of how excited his son looked. He failed so settled for being happy he did not burst into laughter.

"I get to blow it up, don't I?" Hizashi enquired.

Neji saw Hatomi roll her eyes but nodded to Hizashi. Neji let a little chuckle escape as Hizashi went back to his drawing and began figuring out weak points, places he could put the bombs to take out as many enemy shinobi at once. Neji had faith in his son. Hizashi had been finding weak spots in structures his entire life.

"I'll need help to plant the bombs," Hizashi said.

"Of course," Neji said.

Hatomi nodded and they went over the plan together. Hizashi marked coordinates based on finite meter calculations and began preparing the bombs. Ten in total would be placed. They would have to completely mask their charka so the shinobi with Akaryuu would not sense them running over their heads. Neji said nothing as night came upon them.

They switched out into black cloaks with hoods and Neji let out a breath before putting on the solid black mask. He tugged his hood into place over the mask then clipped the hood in place where the eyeholes of the mask would be. The mask had been Hatomi and Hizashi's idea for when they went into buildings uninvited. No other shinobi besides the Hyuuga could use them but Neji knew there had been two made originally. His had been the third.

He tugged on the black gloves Hizashi had given him before leaving and almost laughed when the material stretched up to his elbows. Hatomi's gloves did the same and Neji knew not an inch of flesh would be seen in the dark night especially since they all wore closed toed boots. They set out a moment later, Neji and Hatomi with three bombs a piece and Hizashi with four as he could detect people before they spotted him.

Neji took his route quickly but did not lose sight of his children for a few moments. After another minute, Hatomi angled further away with Hizashi. Soon they were out of his sight. Neji knew Hatomi would go even further still to get to the points Hizashi had marked. They did have radio devices but even so, Neji did not like he could not see his children.

The building was immense if they were both out of his vision field. Neji found the first coordinates Hizashi had given him two minutes later and stuck the bomb into the ground. He had no idea how the oddly Bo shaped bomb would work but did not doubt Hizashi. Neji kept going until the last bomb was placed then circled back. He landed at what had been their camp and let out a breath. It had taken him ten minutes.

Hatomi dropped down beside him silently and he nodded to her. She returned the gesture and they waited for Hizashi. Five tense minutes passed before he landed next to Neji with a smile on his face and carrying a thin wire. Neji was about to ask how the wire would help when Hizashi gave it a sharp tug.

A chorus of explosions sounded through the area, brightening the night sky to the lightness of a sunny day all of two hundred meters in front of them. Now Neji could see the building but there was not much of it to see. The roof and the material preventing him from looking inside had caved in, crushing the hundreds of men and women in the building. Orochimaru's lab fell in on itself, destroying every test tube and piece of machinery. Every supporting beam or wall had come down leaving nothing but the four outer walls of the building and a massive crater in the middle of the earth spanning eight hundred and more meters across. Even Orochimaru was stuck under a hunk of building too large for him to lift alone.

"Freaking awesome," Hizashi said.

"Hn," Hatomi agreed.

Neji patted Hizashi's shoulder then took off running. Hizashi and Hatomi followed within a second and soon they ran to either side of him. Neji stilled to a stop at the edge of the smoking crater and stared into it.

"Hn," Neji remarked.

"It'll be structurally sound enough for us to move on," Hizashi said.

He leaped in before Neji could stop him. For a moment, Neji's heart went into his throat and he stiffened in panic but Hizashi landed on a hunk of roof with no sound and it not fall out from under him. Neji let out a breath then went in before Hatomi. Neji had no qualms about Hizashi tossing out senbon or kunai to the few half crushed shinobi under rocks to finish them up.

His children had learned their history well in never leaving someone half crushed under a rock, not after what happened with Uchiha Obito before the Fourth Shinobi War. Neji kept Orochimaru in his sights but even the snake was crushed into stillness.

"We will take care of Orochimaru first then scan the entire building to finish off the shinobi here," Neji said.

"Roger," Hizashi said.

Hatomi nodded from his side. They landed a top the rock keeping Orochimaru down within minutes. The snake looked up at them with a snarl. Thankfully the single part of the snake sticking out of the rocks was his head. Even so, Orochimaru could extend his neck and tongue.

"You're gunna need a new body after that one," Hizashi said casually.

"I'll take yours," Orochimaru hissed.

Neji scowled at the man and wished he had removed his mask so Orochimaru could see the expression. Neji watched as Hizashi snorted then a senbon embedded itself in the center of Orochimaru's forehead. The snakes eyes rolled back into his head and his charka system became even more sluggish.

"He'll be out for a day and that's taking into consideration the fact he might have cooked up something to speed up my numbing agents," Hizashi said.

Neji nodded to his son then landed on a lower piece of collapsed building. It took them an hour to get Orochimaru out from under the rock then he helped Hatomi tie the man from ankle to neck in chakra binding rope. They even went so far as to put him in a bag laced with chakra blocking material and made sure the snake's head was covered.

Neji carried the snake on his back and followed his children around the building as they killed the rest of the shinobi. By this time the sun had come up and Neji decided he had become too old for this. Thirty-six was by no means ancient but he could feel the ache in his bones from the cold and constant moving around.

His head had started throbbing from keeping Byakugan activated all this time and he needed to crack his back. Thankfully Hizashi had taken Orochimaru by this time after stabbing the bag with another senbon coated in numbing agent. Neji said nothing as Hatomi kept shoving what remained of papers and files into her bag.

"Too bad I busted up all the computers," Hizashi said.

"Hn, and most of the filing cabinets which means most of the information we were coming for. Dolt," Hatomi told him.

Neji kept his smile back as Hizashi gaped then huffed at Hatomi who kept shoving files into her bag without her normal care.

"Hey, it was either that or keep waiting till next month,"

Neji would never mention how shrill Hizashi's voice had gone in protest. He spotted Hatomi rolling her eyes and knew his daughter would not have been opposed to waiting out the shinobi in the base. It may have taken so long others would be sent after them and Neji had not wanted to worry Tenten, Lee, or any of his friends.

"Hn,"

Her annoyed sound, matching in tone to his besides the higher pitch of her voice as she was female. He coughed to hide a laugh but his children were not paying attention to him. Hizashi huffed and pouted under his mask.

"Besides, we got the bastard himself to bring back to Konoha,"

Hatomi stared at him for a moment with her expression neutral.

"Hn,"

Her unimpressed sound. Hizashi threw up his free hand and looked the sky with a roll of his eyes so deep Neji was sure they almost rolled back into his head completely.

"Kami, you're never happy,"

"Hn,"

Amused sound. Neji allowed a chuckle to escape as Hizashi deadpanned at his sister then shook his head. Hatomi wordlessly gathered the rest of the notes which were not destroyed and they took a moment to change back into their all white attire.

They were off by mid-morning with a brisk pace few shinobi could match. They did not stop until the sun had set again and they were hundreds of miles away from the base Hizashi had destroyed. Neji frowned when Orochimaru's bag dropped to the ground and the man inside made no sound.

He said nothing as Hizashi gave the bag a little kick. The bag shifted but no sound issued forth. Neji switched his vision field to see no chakra coming from within the bag. Hatomi and Hizashi had done the same as they too scowled.

"He _couldn't_ have died," Hizashi said.

"His entire body was crushed," Hatomi said.

"This is Orochimaru though, the one who took a Tenketsu Needle to the temple and still managed to kill two jonin and put a freaky jutsu on a third so his corpse could deliver a message," Hizashi said.

Neji let out a loud breath which made both his children look to him. Neji kicked the bag, harder than Hizashi had but still no sound came from it. They could all see Orochimaru's body in the bag but the man's eyes were stuck wide open and he had no chakra.

"We keep him in there even if it means we are carrying his corpse," Neji said. "Furthermore, keep hitting him with numbing agent."

"But," Hizashi started.

"Waste or not, we _know_ what Orochimaru is like. I will not drop my guard on him even in Konoha," Neji broke in.

Hizashi nodded and they took watches. Neji allowed both children to go to sleep and both were out within seconds. He sat in front of their sleeping bags with a little smile on his face. The smile did not linger long as he kept scanning the area around him as well as Orochimaru's corpse over the course of an hour and a half.

Neji woke up Hizashi who yawned hugely before taking up his position. Neji woke up what felt like seconds later to Hatomi lightly touching his shoulder. They were moving again and Neji sighed. His finger joints felt stiff and crackled when he shifted his hands into fists then straight again. Both knees protested movement by sending jolts of pain every other step. His entire spine felt out of place but he kept moving forward.

Neji understood now what Hiashi-sama talked about in the week after the Fourth Shinobi War, about how he felt so old. Shinobi life left a body cranky and Neji felt it the most in the cold winter months or right before a rain. He would not complain. Once this problem with Orochimaru and the mystery boss was solved the world would be in peace again.

Hopefully this time it stayed peaceful enough Neji could retire. If they received another decade of peace he would not feel so horrible. Besides, by the time he was forty-six, Naruto would be forcing him out of active duty. There were good reasons shinobi over the age of fifty were not in the field.

It meant Neji could spend the rest of his life with Tenten in their home while Hizashi, Hatomi, Shi, and Shun had lives (and families) of their own. Forty-six might be too old for shinobi but it would not be too old for other activities like reading, light sparring to keep their spryness, and of course, sex.

Orochimaru's bag _twitched_ on Hizashi's back and Neji shifted his vision field. Hatomi had noticed it as well as Hizashi. One second after the twitch and Hizashi flung the bag away as snakes tried to erupt from it. The bag landed in a snow drift and the snakes stopped moving. Neji kept his distance to five yards when he landed as did Hatomi and Hizashi.

"The Hell?" Hizashi muttered.

"Again: this _is_ Orochimaru we are speaking about," Neji said.

The snakes had become Orochimaru's body and Neji spotted the chakra flowing through Orochimaru's veins. Neji scowled at the sheer amount of it, much more than he remembered Orochimaru ever having. Orochimaru glared at all of them, knowing they could see it and Neji spotted it.

Kanji faded along Orochimaru's sternum but Neji did not catch the entire phrase etched into Orochimaru's flesh in a symbol resembling Sasuke's curse seal. The entire jutsu disappeared before he could read a word of it and Neji frowned.

"Some kind of, what revival and healing curse mark?" Hizashi questioned.

"Hyuuga are so observant," Orochimaru said from his bag.

"You gained immortality, literally this time," Hatomi said.

Orochimaru chuckled and nodded. Neji bit his tongue. The level of jutsu Orochimaru had applied had to have some kind of draw back. There had to be some way to end the man permanently.

Worse yet, all of Orochimaru's injuries seemed to be healed. It was as if he never had part of a building come down on him. Neji did not enjoy the implications of this. Hizashi tied more chakra binding rope around the bag, on the outside and Orochimaru scowled. They were off again and Neji did not have to tell his children they would not be resting tonight.

Konoha was not far and they could cover the distance in a day if they kept moving. Neji did not want to linger long in the cold air with Orochimaru awake in a bag on his son's shoulders. He would feel safer when Orochimaru was put in the specialty cell Tenten and Hizashi had created for him.

The sky became dark again and soon Neji ran ahead solely because his Byakugan allowed him better night vision than a normal shinobi. Hizashi's night vision would be even better as he could see color. Neji decided not to mention it.

Orochimaru had closed his eyes in his bag but made no other movement to escape. His chakra swirled in attentiveness as they moved but his lips did not move. His hands were too bound to move and Neji tried not to focus entirely on the snake. It proved to be difficult but Neji knew his children were watching the area as well. They did not need to rely on him to keep them all safe which came as a sort of relief.

They paused for a brief rest at three hundred hours and Neji gratefully leaned against the tree they had stopped by. He felt winded but saw both his children looked fine, ready to keep going in fact. Neji had never thought he would see the day _he_ slowed a team down.

Even so, his toes were cold in his boots, his knees protested the harsh movement of running and jumping from branch to branch, his knuckles were stiff, and his head throbbed from behind his eyes to the sides. Neji hated to admit it but he understood Orochimaru's reason for wanting eternal youth now. Neji might give up something not so serious to return to his twenty year old body and his peak condition.

"Too tired to keep going, Neji?" Orochimaru asked.

He had a smile on his face and a glint in his eye Neji wanted to kick him for. Neji saw Hizashi huff and punch Orochimaru's side which made the man wince. Hatomi showed her displeasure in the narrowing of her eyes and the tension in her shoulders.

"We're all resting," Hizashi said.

Orochimaru chuckled, sounding a bit out of breath but not enough for him to refrain from speaking.

"But you and your sister don't need it. Your own father is dragging you down because of his age. What would you give Neji, to take say fifteen years off your body's age?"

Neji said nothing. Better not to entertain the snake with the idea Neji _had_ been thinking of it. Age happened. Neji would take it as it came. Besides, his age meant in a few more years he could think of retiring which meant he could spend his life in comfort with Tenten. Neji looked forward to it.

"And in another decade you'll have white shot through all that hair of yours; you'll start to have wrinkles, and might even slow down a chunin team. Your children will get to watch you slowly becoming a mess: covered in wrinkles, wispy gray hair, and possibly even blind from age. Pitiful, really,"

Neji tried not to think of any age above sixty. Tsunade-sama looked great but she cast genjutsu all the time. The Third had not been a good looking specimen at all. If he had been a few decades younger he may have killed Orochimaru and saved them all the issue. Hell, even Guy-sensei had begun to show age in the wrinkles around his eyes, his deep laugh lines, and the gray coming into his hair.

"You'll be a wrinkly old elder in no time," Orochimaru said.

Neji knew what the Hyuuga elders looked like as he had lived in the compound for the first twenty years of his life. Heavily wrinkled skin, gray brittle hair, shaking hands holding onto canes for support or hands curved into permanent half claw-things because of the demand the Gentle Fist put on the hands. Neji knew he would become that one day.

"I do not mind," Neji said.

Orochimaru laughed at him. Neji _did_ mind, a little. He would miss how he could move now and the gray would be disappointing when it did start to show up. But, he would not be alone in his aging.

"I do not mind as my wife will be by my side and I will get to watch my children grow," Neji said.

Orochimaru's smile faltered. Neji let one grace his features as Hatomi and Hizashi watched him with wide eyes.

"I will get to see my children have families of their own, born from _love_ not some sadistic need to create another experiment. My life might be short in comparison to what you can create for yourself but I will have lived a much more fulfilling one, full of people who care about me, love me, and would do anything to help me knowing I would not expect much in return from them. Let the gray hairs come, let the wrinkles form and the body weaken. I will have no regrets,"

Hatomi smiled, lightly as normal while Hizashi grinned broadly. Orochimaru snarled at him but the fight had left him. Neji inclined his head to his children and off they were again. They were five miles from the Gates of Konoha as the sun came up again. Neji let out a relieved breath and felt his body pick up the pace at the knowledge.

They were almost home.

Home to Tenten who would join him in the shower where she would massage his soreness away as she worked his cock in one hand and perhaps a dildo up his ass. Home to where he would get to sleep in his large comfy bed with his wife, best friend, and world by his side, curled up against her as she ran a hand through his hair and hummed some random song until he fell into comfortable slumber. Home to where he would eat a warm meal with his four children and listen to their banter.

Something flickered at the edge of his vision field and Neji focused on it as it raced towards them. A figure concealed in a black hooded cloak with a perfectly blank gray mask came towards them. There was nothing about the figure which stood out: average in height but the build was undetermined by the cloak. The chakra system was alarming and Neji frowned.

Hatomi and Hizashi had the figure in their sights as their distance field had improved to seven hundred and fifty and seven hundred respectively. Another six months and they would hit eight hundred and seven fifty meters respectively.

It was Hizashi who spun in mid-air and released senbon and kunai towards the figure in a blur of motion Neji barely caught. A person without Byakugan or Sharingan would never see the attack coming until it was too late. The senbon were knocked away with the sheath of a sword. Neji scowled as Orochimaru chuckled.

The figure, three hundred meters away now, closed in quickly. At two hundred meters Hizashi threw kunai in a pattern Neji had trouble predicting the movement of. Even so, these were knocked aside. At one hundred meters, Hizashi threw small bombs which the figure dodged before any of them got within inches. At fifty meters, Hatomi activated her Twin Lions while Hizashi flung out a hundred senbon in deadly arches the figure still dodged.

The figure leaped the distance between them and Neji narrowed his eyes when the figure when right for _him_ instead of Hatomi or Hizashi. Neji spun with his next leap and allowed the chakra dome to surround him. He stared in wonder as one hand, sword leading, came _through_ his shield. Neji barely moved in time and received a cut along his left arm, superficial but enough to separate cloth.

Neji let the dome fall as Hatomi came in from the figure's left. The figure hardly looked her way before swinging his sword towards her head. She dodged easily and one Lion Head went towards the figure's head. The sword met the Lion Head and it went out around her hand. A chakra absorbing sword made complete sense.

Neji stared as Hizashi's massive battle axe went towards the figure's head while it was distracted by Hatomi. Neji blinked and stared. Surely he saw something wrong. There was not a way the figure could be blocking Hatomi's strikes with one arm while _two_ other hands had a steel Bo between them to block Hizashi's battle axe.

Hatomi and Hizashi's eyes widened in shock as _a fourth_ arm burst out from under the cloak to start attacking Hatomi. She effortlessly blocked and Neji ran in to strike out at the bastard from behind. A second of awe allowed him to get hit with a _tail_ and he did not recover quickly enough before hitting the branch of a tree with his back, hard. Neji winced and stumbled on the branch below as he tried to catch himself. He fell out of the branch and landed on one three down from the one he hit.

The figure easily blocked both Hatomi and Hizashi with four arms while its tail tried to grab at the bag containing Orochimaru. The snake had a smile on his face. Neji ignored the pain in his spine and leaped towards his children. The tail stopped going for Orochimaru even though Neji was _directly_ behind it. Neji sent a burst of chakra into the tail and it fell limp. He aimed the next one towards where the figure's heart should be but it _moved_. Neji had to stop his attack lest he hit Hatomi and she leaped back out of the way.

The figure landed in a branch above them as they came to a stop on two other trees: Hatomi on her own while Hizashi stood a branch below Neji with his battle axe in hand. Neji watched as the figure flicked off its cloak then stared.

The stranger had a feminine curve despite being the same height as Neji. Average sized bust, small waist but overly large hips with thighs almost as thick as Hizashi's made the body awkward to look at. The two extra arms were attached right under the regular set of arms, much like Kidomaru's had been.

The legs though, they were all wrong: too thick thighs with knees which bent _backwards_ ending in feet which bent somewhere in the middle to look like the legs of a deer. No wonder the creature had caught up to them. Neji spotted the slender tail hanging down, unusable for the moment and finally took a look at the creature's face.

Neji did not know whether to be revolted or fascinated. The head was oval in shape, extraordinarily so, elongated until the chin came to a sharp point. The eyes were much too large for the face and glowed red, Akaryuu then. More disturbing was the _third_ eye swirling with a Rinnegan in the middle of the forehead. There was no nose as the entire face had no curve to it: no cheekbones, no ridges or hallow points. This explained why he thought the face had been a mask.

There were two slits were the nose should be that flared and settled, sniffing the air like a snake and Neji stared at the slit of a mouth as it curved from under one ear, down the sharp point and up to the other ear. The hair was braided back in a plait over one shoulder and the color of dried blood. The tips of it curled near the creature's waist.

"You have something of mine," the creature said in a female voice.

Neji did not want to watch it speaking. It was oddly horrifying. He noticed then the shade of skin on the arms did not match. The lower two were tanned dark while the upper two were pale like the underbelly of a fish, the same color as the rest of the creature's skin.

"What the Hell are you?" Hizashi asked.

The creature smiled. Neji saw rows of sharp teeth revealed and gulped. This creature should not exist. Trust Orochimaru to trump his original creations.

"Perfect," the creature said.

"Perfectly gross looking," Hizashi muttered.

The creature kept grinning. A long tongue flicked out and extended three feet as it tested the air. The tongue, like a snake's, was split at the end and thin. It was pale though as if there was no blood going to the muscle. Neji balked.

"I have legs which can help me move faster than your pathetic lumps of flesh, extra arms for mobility and convenience, a tail for extra balance and as your father noted: a wonderful attack. My tongue acts as a sensory device and my bones are unbreakable, my flesh reptilian in nature to deflect damage. If you cut off a limb then I will re-grow it. I can smell as far as an Inuzuka and see further than you pathetic creatures," it said.

Neji would not trade up his body for the creature's flesh. He would rather keep his aging form then look like some monster.

"Uh-huh, but you're still a freak of nature," Hizashi said.

The creature snorted but kept grinning. Neji had an idea it could not stop the smile from happening and pushed down a shiver. The modifications made to the former woman did not allow them to see what she had looked like before Orochimaru came around.

"If you are perfect then why do you want my brother?" Hatomi questioned.

The creature's lips curled in the middle to form a sort of half scowl, half smile. Neji wished he did not have to see the sight.

"Ranmaru's eyes are similar to the Byakugan and allow for color vision _but_ your brother's particular eyes have vision fields I do not have. Besides, he is the single person who cannot see the trick of Ranmaru's eyes. It is better to have him dead then foiling my plans," the creature said.

"And what are your plans? Wait, lemme guess: world domination?" Hizashi asked.

Neji kept back his laugh at Hizashi's unimpressed tones. The creature grinned again.

"I will kill any shinobi in my way to gain control of the lands," the creature said.

"Why?" Hatomi enquired.

"I _deserve_ it," the creature said.

Neji refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Right because you had such a horrible life you deserve to make everyone else's miserable," Hizashi muttered.

The creature responded by attacking. Neji had to admit the awkward looking legs allowed the creature a much better jumping capability. Neji scattered from his children who did the same. The creature landed on a branch then went after Neji instead of Hizashi. Neji raised an eyebrow then sent out a Vacuum Palm the creature _leaped_ out of the way of.

Senbon followed the creature's downwards trajectory but they _bounced_ off the flesh. The lower two arms performed hand seals while the upper two swung both the metal Bo and the sword towards Neji.

He grimaced when the creature turned its head one hundred and eighty degrees to blow fire at Hatomi who had been running in towards it. Neji dodged both the Bo and the sword then jumped into higher ground. The creature copied the leap but ended up well above him, heading turning to blow more flames.

"Ocean!"

Neji dodged in time as Hizashi's ocean slammed into the creature and sent it careening into breaking trees, snow, and dirt. Neji did not stick around to watch it struggle and took off towards Konoha with Hatomi and Hizashi on his tail.

Neji spotted the creature floundering on the ocean-covered forest floor. The ocean had started to freeze when it hit the snow making it difficult for the creature to get a proper vertical base, never mind the bits of trees bursting around it and falling over.

"Seriously," Hizashi said.

Neji agreed with his son on the sentiment. Their relief did not last long. The creature was up and heading towards them two minutes later at a speed no one would be able to match. Worse yet, charka had begun to spread back down the tail.

"Damn it," Hizashi muttered.

"You won't be able to outrun her," Orochimaru said from his sack.

He had a grin on his face and looked utterly relaxed. As if they would let his boss, whatever it was, win.

"We will if I cut off its legs," Hizashi said.

"Or one of us delivers a strike to the heart," Hatomi said.

Orochimaru snarled at this but Neji had to ignore the snake as the creature came towards him again. Its attack made sense: attack the highest level, the father of the other two, and the one who was the slowest because of age. Neji smirked as Hizashi unleashed a plethora of weapons so thick it looked as if Shino's hive attacked the creature.

A few of them stuck this time around and Hizashi grinned before making the tiger seal. The weapons stuck on the creature exploded which made it shriek while craters formed in its flesh. More weapons, this time the sticky bombs Tenten had employed on her first kill. Again a tiger seal complete with a single word (boom in Hizashi's case) and more craters formed along the beast's flesh.

It was not enough. Neji spun to face it as it burst through the cloud of smoke directly towards him. Hatomi was there a moment later but smacked aside by the revitalized tail. Hizashi came towards them from his further off position but Neji leaped away from his son. The creature grinned and lashed out with its sword.

Neji felt the pain explode in his chest but grinned at the beast. He had moved enough so the sword missed his heart and aorta, hitting dead center in the scar Kidomaru had left him with. Neji grabbed the creature's wrist in one arm and slammed charka through its body.

Tenketsu after tenketsu went dark as Neji forced all his charka into a direct path to the creature's brain. The other two arms grabbed him around the throat and began to squeeze but it was too late. Chakra exploded out the back of the creature's head and its three eyes went wide. Neji stared as it did not go limp or die as any normal beast with its brain stem and cerebellum exploding out of its head. The beast _shook off_ the blow then grinned.

"Orochimaru thought moving those important bits a little higher up would be beneficial. Now I see why,"

Neji tried to inhale but it was too late. His Byakugan deactivated as the air was squeezed out of him and the sword wrenched out of his body. The forth arm grabbed the top of his head in one hand and began to tighten.

Neji wanted to stay conscious but he would not win this battle. He spotted Hizashi coming in with his katana raised, lips in a heavy snarl, and tears leaking out of his eyes. Hatomi had recovered and her Lion's Heads were the largest he had ever seen. Neji closed his eyes against the pain and knew a smile graced his lips.

His life for the King.

* * *

*whistles* Reviews welcome.


	46. Hero

**Hero**

 **Author's notes:** Neji's got this thing where he takes sharp pointy objects to the chest to save people...

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs, lesbians, bondage sex, swearing, killing, gore, blood, and violence...there's a reason this is rated M folks.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

So...for those who noticed, I kinda somehow managed to skip the proper chapter 45 and had this one up instead. I'M SORRY. *dies* it's fixed now.

* * *

Shinobi do not show tears. Shinobi do not show emotion especially when on the battlefield. Shinobi keep moving even when one of their comrades is struck by a fatal blow because the mission _always_ comes first.

Hatomi had pride for being able to follow those rules on most of her missions. The time she had not was because of Maiya but it had been expected. Hatomi had learned from it as well and made it her goal to always put the mission first before whoever had fallen.

But, the shinobi rules could not have taken into account she would have to watch her father take a sword to the chest and be strangled. She knew what came over her when father's Byakugan went out and his eyes began to slip shut as his body went limp. It had been the same rage she felt when she heard _that bastard_ say he had forced Maiya to do sexual things to him. Hatomi let the rage come and headed towards the creature with her brother.

Mission be damned.

The creature wrenched its sword out of father's chest and blood spurted out of the wound in an arching pattern as father fell towards the forest floor. Half of the creature's head was demolished thanks to father's chakra strike but it still moved. Worse yet, the damage looked like it was repairing. Hatomi would not give it the change.

She slammed a Lion's Head into the creature's spine and grinned when all the chakra in the spine, upper thighs, and stomach went out. The creature gasped as Hatomi shifted to a side to allow Hizashi his strike.

Hizashi, unlike normal Hyuuga, yelled out his fury as his sword separated flesh: through the top of the skull, splitting the head in half then down the throat, continuing through the chest until shifting to cut through the right side of the chest, under the second arm.

It effectively split the creature's head in two as well as cut off the two right arms. Hizashi followed up by sticking a bomb into the exposed chest cavity which made ribs and organs fly around them in a gory rain. What remained of the creature hit the ground with a sickening thud but Hatomi had all ready made it to father's side so did not care what the creature did.

Hizashi landed beside her a moment later and watched as she wrapped gauze tightly over father's wound. The gauze turned red in the middle once she was done but neither remarked. Hizashi's sword and battle axe were gone by this time and the moment Hatomi's hands left father's body was the moment Hizashi lifted father into his arms in a bridal carry. There were running at top speed moments later.

They did not have to speak. They did not have to turn their heads to look at each other as their Byakugan had not gone out. Even without the dojutsu they would not have the need to incline their heads. They knew each other too well, each movement, and every thought because of their kinship and their constant training. The fact they were twins likely helped but Hatomi never believed in twins having some kind of special power.

At some point it had begun to snow but Hatomi ignored it. The sun began to come up but the Gates were in view: open and welcoming. Hatomi did not pause, nor did Hizashi, as they ran through the Gates without even greeting the two shinobi on duty. In fluid motions they hit the nearest roof and kept going.

Hatomi tried not to see how the gauze she had put over father's wound had changed colors completely or how father's chakra paths were moving slowly and had faded to almost nothing. She would not think about how father's eyes had not opened this entire time or how his breathing had slowed to almost nothing.

Father's heart was beating but sluggishly as if it did not have the energy to keep father's body alive. The charka in father's fingers and toes was out completely, pooling to the injured area and damning limbs the body did not think important.

They hit the stairs of the hospital a moment later and burst through the doors much to the shock of everyone in the lobby. For a breathless moment there was no sound. It hit Hatomi like a Mountain Crusher as people began talking all at once. Med-nin yelled out directions as father was taken from Hizashi's arms and her brother said something about how slow father's heart beat.

Someone was telling others to get Tsunade-sama, Shizune-sama, and Sakura-sama here as quickly as possible. The shinobi waiting for minor injuries were being moved out of the way as father was laid out on a stretcher and wheeled down the corridor to the operation rooms. Hatomi had not noticed she had deactivated her Byakugan.

Spots of red, father's blood, were between Hizashi's feet and the spot where father had been placed on the stretcher. They were so red these little messes against the white tile of the floor and Hatomi marvelled at the contrast for a long moment. She turned her head to look up at Hizashi and stared.

Hizashi had shut down. His Byakugan had deactivated as well but he stared at his hands as they were coated in father's blood and the blood of the creature he had destroyed. Hizashi's hands, capable of flinging out any weapon yet large to land an earth-shattering punch, normally steady and graceful looking were shivering now. All of Hizashi's broad body shuddered and Hatomi tried to catch him as he went to his knees.

There was no hope in keeping him upright. He out-weighed her by at least a hundred pounds. Hatomi did not mind as she fell beside him and wrapped her arms around him as much as she could. She heard nothing over the ringing in her ears despite the pandemonium going on around her. Med-nin ran back and forth to clear the lobby, someone frantically tried to clean up father's blood, as others did what had to be done when a critical was brought in.

Through it all, she and Hizashi knelt in the middle of the floor, ten steps in from the double doors of the lobby and five steps from the main desk. The ringing stopped when someone put their hand on her shoulder. Hatomi looked up into a still-smooth face with bright green eyes surrounded by pink hair.

Sakura-sama smiled at her and Hatomi saw Shizune-sama and Tsunade-sama behind her. Hatomi blinked and met the eyes of Sakura-sama.

"We'll get him on his feet in no time," Sakura-sama said.

Hatomi nodded and watched as Sakura-sama ran down the corridor with Tsunade-sama and Shizune-sama. Hatomi took a breath and let it out slowly before getting to her feet and tugging Hizashi upwards. He came with her easily enough and she saw him take a deep breath then let it out slowly. Their eyes met and Hatomi held her brother's gaze.

"I'm going to drop off the package," Hizashi said.

"I will inform mother," Hatomi returned.

They nodded and in sync, left the hospital to complete their tasks. Terror, sorrow, and rage filled her but Hatomi took it all, wrapped it in a messy ball, and shoved it as far down as she could. She had a job to do and besides, shinobi did not cry.

* * *

Tenten paced the corridor in front of the room occupied by her dying husband and three of the best healers in the world. She tried not to fling weapons at something or collapse to her knees and scream to the heavens. She also wanted to go find a corner to curl up in cry in and knew her conflicted feelings were why she was able to pace without breaking down.

Seeing Hatomi walked into the house with a blank expression and tear streaks on her face had made Tenten freeze. Seeing the blood on her daughter's hands, the bits of what looked like flesh in Hatomi's long hair had made Tenten's heart leap to her throat. It'd been bad enough to see Hatomi _alone_ in such a state, never mind when Hatomi spoke in that _dead_ voice to say Neji was in critical condition in the hospital.

Tenten had leaped into action then, taking off Hatomi's bag and pushing her towards the bathroom to clean up. Hatomi had gone without a word and Tenten didn't linger long on the nothingness in her daughter's eyes. Tenten called the shop and thankfully gotten Guy-sensei. She said words she couldn't remember now but it brought Guy-sensei and Shun to the hospital. Then she had called the Academy and spoken to Shi's teacher which brought Shi to the hospital. Someone had called Lee as well as Yusa.

Tenten spun on her heel to head back the other way, passing Lee, Metal, Yusa, Shi, Shun, and Hatomi. Hizashi was not here. Yet.

He would be though, after he delivered the package, as Hatomi had called Orochimaru. Tenten tried not to think about how the snake was back in Konoha, how her children and her husband had run into the snake's boss, and how her son had to carry his dying father the five miles back to Konoha.

Hizashi would do his duty: bring Orochimaru into the cell they had made for him, deliver a brief report to Naruto, and put any important documents into their proper places. Then Hizashi would go home and break down for a little bit before cleaning up and coming here. Tenten shook her head then glanced up when she heard footsteps coming towards them.

Mitsuki was allowing his presence to be known on the off chance they did not want him being here. The teen had lived with them for long enough for Tenten to consider him an adoptive son no matter _who_ had made him. Right now though, the amber eyes with their slits for pupils made her stomach churn.

"I could go," Mitsuki said.

"Stay," Tenten told him.

He nodded and sat at the corner of the long bench, two spaces down from Hatomi who didn't even look over to him or acknowledge his presence. Hatomi kept staring straight ahead with the expression-less look on her face and eyes devoid of emotion. Tenten sighed before taking up pacing again.

Scenario after scenario played in her mind of how she would react to the news of Neji's death. She would cry, no, sob and go to her knees. She would tear at her clothes, her hair, at everything and want to blow up the entire hospital as well as the man responsible for making the creature which had killed her husband.

No, more than husband. Best friend, teammate, closest confident, partner, lover, other half: her _entire_ world. If Neji died, a piece of her would go with him. The world would lose some of its color. She wouldn't find the same joy in coming home after a mission or from being in the shop. She wouldn't have the same excitement in finding an awesome new weapon or cleaning hers. She needed him to live.

Tenten gave up on her pacing and sat in the spot Mitsuki had left on the bench, in the middle of sorts. She ran a hand through her bangs and stared at the door which closed her off from her world. Time passed but Tenten had lost track of it since Hatomi had delivered the news. Her family moved around her to get food which they picked at or hold hot tea until it became too cold to drink without taking a sip.

Hizashi joined them and Tenten easily slid towards Mitsuki so Hizashi could sit between her and Hatomi. He settled as if he was exhausted but Tenten didn't blame him. His eyes were red rimmed and puffy from crying but it was the only evidence of him having emotions. His hair was neatly tied back in a low, abet damp tail and he had changed into black pants and a blue sweater. Not a speck of blood coated his form but he sat with his shoulders sagged and his hands hanging down over his legs.

"How much longer?" Hizashi asked quietly.

"Don't know," Tenten replied.

Nothing more was said. They all went through the motions of eating or drinking. At some point she napped against Hizashi's shoulder but she did not stay asleep for long. None of them did, not even Yusa who was the pure civilian among them. Finally, the doors opened and out came Sakura.

Tenten had a feeling they stood as a unit as Sakura had paused in her steps in shock. Bags lingered under Sakura's eyes but she had a smile on her face. That meant...

"He'll stable and will be okay,"

Tenten felt the laugh bubbling up in her throat but didn't stop it. Neji was alive. He would be okay. She was going to kick his ass for making her worry so much. Right now all she wanted to do was see him.

"Can we see him?" Hatomi questioned.

These were the first words she had said the entire time they waited. Tenten contained her laughter to see Hatomi's golden eyes wide, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and a pout to her trembling lower lip. She had her puppy dog face going. Tenten pursed her lips as she saw Sakura visibly cave.

"Five minutes and not everyone at once," Sakura said.

Tenten rushed into the room with Hatomi, Hizashi, Shi, and Shun behind her. They all stopped a few steps into the room and stared. Tenten felt tears welling into her eyes but she had to be strong for her kids. Besides, she had seen Neji like this before and _knew_ he would bounce back like the other times. It still hurt to see him like this.

He lay on the bed, unmoving except for the slight rise and fall of his chest. His naturally pale skin had gone the color of the sheets: pure white with no hints of warmth or life. Normally long, silky dark hair had been cut unevenly to his upper back then left to hang over the back of the pillows so it was out of the way. The oxygen mask blocked out the view of his regal nose and plump mouth.

A tube sprouted from his right hand and led to an IV with clear fluid in it as well as a pale blue fluid Tenten knew would be medicine to keep him from getting an infection or cold. Another tube, red with blood was at his elbow, pumping in another liter of Neji's blood type. Sticky pads with wire attached were on both collar bones and on the right side of his chest, all attached to a machine which would monitor his heart directly.

A mass of gauze covered the left side of his chest, wrapped across it and over his left shoulder to keep it in place. On his left bicep was a blood pressure cuff and Tenten could see the bag which would be used to collect his urine. She took a centering breath then continued to walk into the room.

Neji's hand was cold when she wrapped hers around it. He didn't squeeze back but she didn't blame him a bit. She took a closer look at his face and kept staring for a while. Fine lines were at the corners of his eyes and under them. Bags had formed under his eyes and looked darker because of his long lashes.

His laugh lines were deeper and the hair at his temples was not as thick as Tenten remembered it being twenty years ago when she had seen him lying like this after the war. Age was beginning to set in on his face but in the smallest amounts. Tenten smiled then lightly brushed back some stray hairs across his bare forehead.

She felt someone grab her other hand and saw it was Hatomi. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her lower lip trembled as she took in the sight of her injured father. Tenten easily wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She spotted Hizashi close to a break down behind her and let go of Neji's hand to pull her oldest son in close. He came into her arms without prompting and rested his chin on the top of her head.

Tenten smiled when Shi and Shun wrapped themselves into the hug. Hizashi put his arms around the duo and Hatomi wrapped an arm around Shi's waist. They all stared down at Neji with tears rolling down their cheeks and Tenten held her children close.

They had not been there the day after Neji had defeated Kidomaru or the moments after the Ten Tails attack. Neji had a habit of getting pierced by sharp pointy objects to save people. Her husband always had to be the hero. The thought made her grin.

"He's going to be okay?" Hizashi asked.

Tenten could tell he didn't believe it. Neither had she after seeing him like this the first time. She nodded and kept the smile on her face when all four looked at her.

"He'll be fine. He's survived worse than this," Tenten said.

They believed her and not because she was the one who made them. They believed her because she had been with Neji for twenty-four years now in every sense of the word. She said he would be fine and he would be.

* * *

"You idiot! You made us all worry and now you're stuck in here for who knows how long! I thought you'd know by now sharp objects aren't meant to be blocked with your chest!"

Hizashi tried not to laugh as mom yelled at dad. For all the yelling, mom had tears in her eyes and a smile hiding under all the anger. Dad sat up in bed, one eyebrow raised, eyes half closed, and the smallest of smiles on his face: annoyed at the yelling but still amused. Mom gave up on the one-sided screaming match and wrapped her arms around dad's upper chest, planting a kiss on his cheek before snuggling into him. Dad snorted, the smile got bigger, and he wrapped his arms around mom.

"Dumbass. Do you know how many times I'm going to whack you with my Bo for this stunt?"

"Hn,"

Hizashi coughed to hide his laugh at dad's "yeah, yeah, I know" sound. Dad's smile had gotten a bit wider and he held mom closer, almost dragging her onto the hospital bed with him.

"Seriously, I'm so kicking your ass once you're out of here,"

"Hn,"

Hizashi shook his head before sitting on one of the other chairs which had been brought in during the week dad had spent in this room. The quiet vigil over dad had been Hell. Seeing him so unmoving wasn't unusual but normally there was a look to him like he was listening even if he meditated. The same life hadn't been there as dad recovered.

Hizashi had almost fallen over upon seeing dad sitting up in bed looking out the window as if he hadn't taken a chakra absorbing sword to the chest and lost almost all of his blood. Dad had turned to look at him and mom who had started sputtering incoherently then raised an eyebrow as if they were the ones being crazy. And now mom was beating dad up verbally. Everything was back to normal.

"Stupid Hyuuga and being all "oh, let me take this sharp pointy thing to the chest so you can live" like you've got nine lives or something,"

"Hn, six more then,"

"Jerk,"

"Hn,"

Hizashi shook his head but said nothing from his chair as mom swatted dad's shoulder. Both were smiling and Hizashi let out a breath. For the first time in a week he felt like he could breathe. Maybe tonight he would be able to get a full night's rest. The past week had been filled of dreams and seeing dad getting stabbed over and over.

"I swear if you get stabbed six more times in the chest then I'll never forgive you,"

"As if I am doing this intentionally,"

"I swear you get sick pleasure out of it,"

"Yes, please stab me in the chest because it feels _amazing_ ,"

Hizashi laughed as mom smacked dad again. Dad snorted as he pulled mom into the hospital bed with him before planting a light kiss on her mouth. Mom took the treatment, giggling as she did. More light kisses and finally mom shifted until she sat comfortably in dad's lap with her head resting under his. Dad put his chin on the top of mom's head and Hizashi smiled.

"All good?" Hizashi asked.

"Yep,"

"Hn,"

Hizashi got out of the chair and sat on the bed by dad's feet. Dad's normally perfect hair was a mess around his head, greasy from not being washed since before the mission, and hung unevenly around his head. Hair grew back and could be washed. There wasn't growing a second dad.

"Is it dead?" dad questioned.

It took a moment for Hizashi to remember what dad asked about. Hizashi frowned. He wanted so badly to nod and knew by all rights, the _thing_ Orochimaru had created should be dead. Hizashi had cut it in half then blown up its torso. He had pulled bits of flesh out of his hair before his shower and given them to Sakura-sama and Tsunade-sama to study.

"It should be," Hizashi said.

Dad hummed and Hizashi knew no one would confirm all this was over until they saw the creature's body. Hizashi hadn't built up the courage to go back out and scout for it because he didn't want to go back to the place dad had almost died.

"Naruto-sama sent out a team of shinobi to make sure," Hizashi said.

Dad nodded once and mom frowned. Hizashi didn't want to be talking about this, not as the first conversation with his father in over a week because of injury. But they were a shinobi family. The conversation couldn't be helped.

"And?" dad asked.

"They found the battlefield but no body," Hizashi admitted.

The shinobi had come back with no skin fragments, no limbs, nothing, like the experiment Orochimaru had made picked itself back up and walked off after having its upper body cut in half then blown up. Like being blown up was a paper cut or something. Hizashi held back his shiver.

"So it lives,"

Dad's voice was soft and he frowned softly. His arms wrapped tighter around mom but Hizashi said nothing. Mom leaned into dad and Hizashi bit his tongue. Mom and dad were amazing shinobi, yeah, but as much as Hizashi hated to admit it: Orochimaru was right. Dad couldn't escape the fact he needed more rest now that he was close to forty and he couldn't keep up with Hatomi and Hizashi.

Dad couldn't go back after the creature a second time and come out alive. No, it was up to Hatomi, Hizashi and the others in their generation. Hizashi would need Shikadai's shadows. He would need Boruto's pure power and Sarada's Sharingan. Chocho's expansion jutsu, Metal's power taijutsu, Inojin's mind control techniques, and Mitsuki's unique jutsu would round them off. That _thing_ wouldn't stand a chance.

"For now," Hizashi said.

Dad hummed and nodded. Hizashi sat with his parents for a little longer then left them alone. Shi and Shun would be coming later, Hatomi after finishing up with Naruto-sama tonight. Hizashi would join them all for dinner but first he had to make some plans.

Hizashi found Sarada exactly where he had expected: training in one of Konoha's indoor training fields, alone. Hizashi watched from six hundred meters away as she moved through her training regime. She had taken off the black sleeveless overcoat she wore at some point which left her in the white shorts and white shirt. The shirt sleeves had been rolled up so the red hems were almost to her shoulders.

She still wore the black fingerless gloves which ended at her wrist but the blue obi was off, hanging over the overcoat on one of the poles. The sword lay across the hardwood in front of the pole and sat untouched in its sheath. Her long hair was slung back in a low tail with the tips hitting her mid back and Hizashi watched through the wall as she trained.

She was currently beating the Hell out of a punching bag with her fists. An occasional kick would be tossed in but Sarada's style was all about her insane upper body strength thanks to her mom. Hizashi kept walking through the hallway until coming to the open door of the training field.

"He woke up?" Sarada questioned.

She gave the punching bag a final hit then turned her head to him, red eyes focusing on his gold ones. Her eyebrows had come up in question and she had half turned to reveal the red hem down the middle of her shirt with its three little red buttons.

"Yeah," Hizashi said.

She smiled and Hizashi felt his heart skip a beat. He walked deeper into the room as she turned to face him completely, one hand rising to brush back some of her bangs while the other made a fist and rested on her hip. She adjusted her glasses as her hand came away from her bangs and Hizashi stood in front of her for a long moment. She let out a breath.

"So we're going to go after it?" Sarada asked.

"Yeah," Hizashi said.

She nodded. Her hand rested on his shoulder a moment later and he placed his much bigger hand over hers to hold it. Her other hand stayed on her hip but Hizashi didn't mind. He hadn't even had to explain the need for them to go after the creature.

"When do we leave?" Sarada questioned with a slight tilt to her head.

"As soon as I clear it with Naruto-sama," Hizashi said.

Sarada hummed and considered. He watched her for a moment, not caring he was wasting chakra by keeping his Byakugan activated so he could see her in color. Hizashi had a suspicion she had changed from her mainly red outfit to this black and white one because of him. He didn't mention it.

"So in a day or two. Between you and Hatomi, Naruto-sama won't stand a chance," Sarada said with a small grin.

Hizashi laughed and her smile widened. She had a point though. Few people could argue with Hatomi's logic alone never mind when he added his thoughts and points. He and the others would be leaving by this time the day after tomorrow.

"Hatomi says she knows where it might have gone to," Hizashi said.

Sarada nodded and he flushed when she raised the hand on her hip to brush some of the hair back behind his ear. She kept her hand on his cheek when she was done and Hizashi smiled.

"I should tell Chocho tonight when I see her,"

She didn't have to ask. She had known he planned to take them all along to beat the thing down. It was why she had been training hard for the past week. She knew this day was short in coming. Hizashi brought her in close and held her against him, easily putting his chin on the top of her head as her arms wrapped around him.

"We'll destroy that thing," Sarada said.

Hizashi grinned. He could feel her determination in the way she clenched her hands in his shirt and nodded against his chest. They would destroy it, them and all their friends.

* * *

Hatomi said nothing as Naruto-sama growled at them from behind his desk. His entire posture spoke of rage: hands flat on the desk after slamming them there, standing tall but shoulders hunched over, chakra glowing orange around him and eyes red.

"Absolutely not," Naruto-sama said.

Hatomi waited another moment then saw Hizashi shrugging out of the corner of her eyes. Sarada stood to Hizashi's other side while Shikadai stood to Hatomi's other side. Honestly Naruto-sama should have given up when they walked in especially with Boruto standing in the room near his desk.

"The combination of an Ino-Shika-Cho team, two Hyuuga, one Green Beast, a Sharingan user, Mitsuki, and a powerhouse Uzumaki is the only way to go," Hizashi said.

He spoke as if he talked about the weather or another safe subject. His voice was more curious than anything else and he had a smile on his face. His entire posture was relaxed, unperturbed, as if he suggested he and Naruto-sama take a stroll around the Village to relax.

"Besides, we're all chunin now and as a unit there won't be anything that can surprise us," Sarada added.

"Tactically we're the best group since we know what we're dealing with and we're younger than the only other people who could beat this thing," Shikadai pointed out.

"And you have Hokage duties, dad, you can't go running off when you want anymore," Boruto mentioned.

Naruto-sama looked to Shikamaru-sama who shrugged. The rage subsided a bit as Shikamaru-sama inhaled on his cigarette before blowing smoke in the general direction of the open window.

"They have a point. And you know with The Hyuuga Twins leading the suggestion it's only a matter of time before you cave. Troublesome to extend the pain of it," Shikamaru-sama said.

Hatomi took this as a compliment. Naruto-sama sighed and sat in his chair with a thunk which made the chair roll backwards a bit. He ran his real hand through his hair then studied them. A smile came to his face and he nodded.

"We've got to start remembering you kids aren't kids anymore," Naruto-sama said.

"I'm fifteen," Boruto muttered.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. Fine, you all can go on a hunt to track down that beast and destroy it once and for all. You're taking Tsunade-obaa-chan with you," Naruto-sama said.

Hatomi kept her mouth shut as did Hizashi. She saw Boruto ready to protest then he spotted the fact everyone else was quiet. He nodded. Naruto-sama grinned.

"Hatomi, you're in charge. Consider this a test for a promotion," Naruto-sama said.

Hatomi had to struggle to keep her smile back. As it was she raised an eyebrow before bowing and thanking Naruto-sama. A promotion. It would mean she would gain the rank of jonin before father had by months. She led the way out and noticed Boruto followed.

"Troublesome," Shikadai said.

"What, that Hatomi's leading?" Hizashi asked.

"The whole situation. Why do you guys have to bring me along for this?" Shikadai returned.

"We need your shadows and that big tactical brain of yours," Hizashi told him.

"Troublesome," Shikadai muttered.

Hatomi kept her snicker to a mental one. Shikadai might grouse now but once they were on the field he would show the same steely determination his mother and father both were known for. They left the Hokage Tower and began heading to her and Hizashi's home.

They had all ready told everyone else to meet them there after an hour and Hatomi grinned when she saw they would be twenty minutes early. Mother, Shi, and Shun were at the shop while father still recovered. Mother would visit father at some point today and stay until later tonight but there would be no interruptions.

Hatomi entered the home with her friends and brother to see Chocho, Inojin, Mitsuki, and Metal waiting on the couch. Well, the former three were while the latter did hand stand push-ups with Miruku watching in awe.

"We're off then?" Inojin said.

"Not this second but yeah," Hizashi said.

Metal flipped into a lotus position on the floor and everyone gathered around the living room table. Hatomi went to the kitchen to start a pot of tea and Sarada followed her. Hizashi was all ready opening a particular scroll and spreading out information along the table.

"This might be the last dangerous mission we have," Sarada said.

Hatomi hummed but nodded. When they destroyed the creature Orochimaru had created and called "boss" they would effectively stop any threat. Their world would sink back into one of peace but Hatomi did not mind. She would have plenty to occupy her time with being the personal researcher of the Hokage.

Then there was her relationship with Maiya to consider as they bloomed into forever together. Besides, she had to take time out of her schedule to help Shi train for his Hyuuga battle next year. Time kept getting away from her and Hatomi wished she could slow it down. She would be fifteen in April, three months from now exactly and in some places considered a legal adult. ANBU might look into her the year after because of her skills but Hatomi did not see the need for ANBU in the foreseeable future.

Once this last bit of insanity had finished, there would be no one else out there to defeat to keep the peace. Hatomi might miss the complex missions but she would rather spend time with her friends and family _alive_ much more. Seeing father almost die had solidified this in her mind.

Sarada helped her bring over the tea as Hizashi explained the reasoning behind where they figured the creature would go. No one looked interested in arguing Hizashi's logic so Hatomi sat on the couch with her legs in lotus position. She had seen all of this, helped create it so did not need to be close.

"So, how do we beat something that can't die?" Chocho asked.

"The same way my dad beat Hidan," Shikadai answered. "Blowing it up and burying it under so much dirt it can't think of digging itself back out."

Chocho frowned but Hizashi nodded.

"Yeah, but more. This thing is different. It can regenerate its limbs so we've got to bury it and bury it quick to the point it _can't_ regenerate because it's blocked. And we gotta bury each piece of it apart from something else. Plus hey, we'll be bringing the head back here," Hizashi said.

Hatomi sipped her tea when everyone gaped at him. Shikadai recovered first.

"We're bringing back its head?" Shikadai questioned.

"Of course," Hatomi said.

All eyes turned to her then back to Hizashi when he nodded.

"We'll be fitting it with a steel plate and ring so it can't grow a new body but yeah, it's coming back here. Ino-sama wants to, well, yeah," Hizashi said.

Inojin shivered with a frown on his face. Hatomi watched as the others came to terms with bringing a head back to Konoha, a head which might have the ability to still speak. Hizashi had all ready prepped a head-sized bag full of chakra wires and made of the same chakra suppressing material Orochimaru had created. Tsunade-sama and Sakura-sama had found an alternative to skin but it had been difficult to create. As such, Hizashi's bag was the single bit of material they had.

"So what's the plan?" Boruto questioned.

"We track it down first," Hizashi said.

He pointed to his map, to the base in the Sound they planned to head to. They would be going right into hostile territory but Hatomi had no concerns. She tried not to think about how this particular base had been the one she had brought Sarada to when she wanted to find her father. Sarada's eyes narrowed a bit as she realized which base they were going to.

"This is one of three bases left with lab equipment and all the material needed to keep going. Hatomi and me will scan it with Byakugan before we go in. Chocho, Metal, Mitsuki, and Boruto: it'll be up to you guys to distract it enough so Shikadai can get it in his shadows. Sarada and Hatomi will be the ones in charge of making the holes while Inojin: it'll be your job to deposit the chakra suppressing wires in the holes when the girls are done with them. I'll be making the bombs while Tsunade-sama provides back-up," Hizashi said.

Everyone nodded. Hizashi began summoning forth the special plates and rings he had made for this occasion. He had been working on it every night for the past week.

"After each piece is blown up, we'll each take a limp or part and fit these over it in some way. Then we bury each piece in the holes after tying each piece down in the hole with wire. Then it can freaking rot," Hizashi said.

Hatomi inclined her head while the others absorbed this information. Sarada was the one who leaned forward and smoothed out the map to better see the red marks Hizashi had made around the three potential bases where they would be digging the holes. She put a finger on one base while adjusting her glasses with the other hand.

"This one, it's deep in hostile territory and I doubt the Sound are going to let us walk up to the base and start doing what we plan to do," Sarada said.

Hatomi watched as Sarada looked up to Hizashi who shrugged with a single shoulder.

"Hatomi and I will be constantly scanning with Byakugan. Even if some of the shinobi in the area have Akaryuu they won't be able to trick me. Besides, we took out eighty percent of the entire force of them with that last mission. The other twenty won't know where to go," Hizashi said.

"But we can't discount the fact there _are_ still shinobi out there who are part of that army and at least half of them are going to have a dojutsu that puts almost everyone in this group at a disadvantage," Sarada said.

Hatomi sipped her tea as Hizashi let out a breath. Shikadai had taken up his thinking pose: slouched forward with his hands forming a sort of circle in front of him and his teal eyes narrowed. Chocho kept nibbling on her lip while Inojin studied the map with Mitsuki. Metal looked ready to leave now while Boruto studied the information Hizashi had printed out with a scowl.

"We'll see them before they see us and act accordingly. We don't have a choice but go into hostile territory while means, yeah, there's a very real possibility we're going to run into enemy shinobi. I think we can all handle clones," Hizashi said.

Sarada frowned and shook her head. She kept tapping the furthest potential location on the map and Hatomi said nothing as Hizashi settled beside her with raised eyebrows.

"This one is the biggest out of all of them and has the most up-to-date communication devices. It'll be there for sure," Sarada said.

"Yeah, probably, but it's better to check the others than to put the enemy at our back going for this one," Hizashi said.

Sarada narrowed her eyes lightly but nodded once in agreement. Hizashi put a hand on her shoulder and Hatomi kept her eyes on the duo.

"It'll be quick scans on the bases though, right? And what if we come across enemy shinobi on the way?" Sarada questioned.

The others would have voiced these questions eventually, Hatomi could see it in their eyes. Sarada though, she had become someone Hizashi could bounce ideas off of and someone who could understand his way of thinking.

"Quick scans, yeah and if we come across enemies then we take them out. It's why Tsunade-sama was put on the team: to heal us if we get hurt before we run into that thing," Hizashi said.

Sarada hummed in agreement as she went over the map in front of her. Like Hatomi, she had figured out this day would come the moment father was awake. Hizashi was not the type to want to wait around for long.

"We'll all be outfitted in clothes that blend in depending on the time of day: white in the day time and black at night. Cloaks with hoods, gloves, and closed toed boots. Hatomi and me will have masks to cover our faces and we've got some with eyeholes for you guys as well," Hizashi said.

Nods from all around. Hizashi grinned then looked to her. Hatomi said nothing when all eyes went to her but she did raise an eyebrow marginally.

"Hatomi knows all this all ready and like Naruto-sama said: she's in charge," Hizashi said.

Boruto grinned while Metal let out a shout of excitement. Chocho patted her back in a friendly way while Sarada beamed. Inojin and Shikadai smiled. Mitsuki gave her a happy nod. Hizashi gave her a wink and Hatomi put down her tea cup before regarding her closest friends and family. Hatomi found the list she wanted and smoothed it out in front of everyone.

"This is what I expect everyone to bring..."

* * *

Couple more chapters left...I think. Ahaha...


	47. Battle

**Battle**

 **Author's notes:** This thing keeps getting away from me, I swear.

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs, lesbians, bondage sex, swearing, killing, gore, blood, and violence...there's a reason this is rated M folks.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

The cold weather wasn't going to help them on this mission but Hizashi didn't want to wait for the thaw to start. Having that creature Orochimaru created out there in the world able to do whatever it wanted for even another month made his skin crawl. No, the longer they sat on going after the enemy than the stronger the enemy would be.

Hizashi let out a breath as he kept scanning the area. Hatomi had sectioned them into groups: her, Chocho, and Metal in the lead then Inojin, Shikadai, and Sarada in the middle with Hizashi, Boruto, and Mitsuki taking up the second last position. Tsunade-sama was by her lonesome ten meters behind Hizashi's group. Hatomi had a fifty meter lead on Hizashi's group with Sarada's group in the middle.

Hizashi knew it was best not to travel in one huge group but he hated being so far off from his sister and girlfriend. Plus he didn't like the fact he took up the back of the pack since he could run as fast as Hatomi and Metal. It was hard to reign in his speed.

They had all ready checked the first base to find it empty. Hizashi had still had some fun blowing the base to nothing but ash with as little supplies as possible. One weak point had been all he needed and the base tumbled like dominos. It had been amazing and Hizashi still felt great knowing there would be one less place the creature could hide.

"Hizashi, Shikadai, we will camp at the cave 650 meters north, north east of our current location," Hatomi said.

Her voice was light over the speaker in his ear and he nodded to her as did everyone else. Hizashi had thought Hatomi would have chosen Sarada as the second groups lead but surprised everyone when picking Shikadai. Hizashi almost asked why but remember Shikadai hadn't put forth any effort in the Academy and still ranked in the top ten. He had a brain able to blast him and Hatomi out of the area.

It didn't take them long to hit the cave and within two minutes they had a fire started and a camp set up in the shadow of the outcropping of rocks. Hizashi put the finishing touches on one of his traps and scanned the area with his Byakugan before finally settling by the fire where Sarada and Chocho cooked with the supplies he'd opened from his scrolls.

"We aren't far from the second base," Shikadai said.

"Hn, Hizashi and I will get within our vision scope of it once the sun goes down," Hatomi said.

Tsunade-sama raised an eyebrow at this and a little frown came to her face, mimicking the one coming on Shikadai's face. Neither said a word as they let the information sink in with the rest of the group.

"And we're going to wait here?" Chocho questioned.

Hatomi nodded. Hizashi saw Shikadai's scowl deepen but knew what Hatomi was going to say before Shikadai could protest.

"It will be a quick scope to make sure nothing is in our way between here and the second base. In the morning we will take it down," Hatomi said.

"Oh cool. We get to see Hizashi blow it up," Boruto said with a grin.

Hizashi smirked at his cousin as they began to get portions of steamed vegetables and rice. Chocho was still working on the beef but no one minded. They ate in silence and began setting up to turn in. Hizashi changed behind a tree while Hatomi took a different tree. They were garbed in their all black with their masks within moments.

"Yeah, it's creepy how you guys totally disappear like that," Inojin said.

"But it gets the job done," Hizashi said.

"We will keep in contact via radio and check in every hour," Hatomi told them.

She stuck to the mission like a burr. Hizashi didn't fault her for it as when this went off great she would get her jonin rank promotion. Why she wanted it so early was beyond him but Hizashi figured it had something to do with beating dad.

"Roger," Shikadai said.

"Don't have too much fun," Tsunade-sama said.

"Burn brightly in your youth!"

Hizashi rolled his eyes under his mask then followed Hatomi up the side of the rocks then over and into the trees. They would check in five times if nothing happened and Hizashi had a feeling they would be fine.

Like every other duel mission they went on no words had to be exchanged. They checked in twice before slowing so the base rode the edges of his vision perimeter. Hizashi took the lead then and they came to a full stop four hundred meters from the base. Like the one before, this was empty.

"All clear," Hizashi said.

"Hn, you will be demolishing it tomorrow then," Hatomi said.

Hizashi nodded. They started to turn but something caught his eye. It didn't and wouldn't have caught Hatomi's because she couldn't see color like he could. But there, half a meter in from the edges of his vision field was something out of place in the massive base.

"Hold on," Hizashi said.

Hatomi spun in mid-air, landed on the branch she had intended to but easily came back to join him. She tilted her head to a side but followed when Hizashi leaped towards the base to bring the object closer into view. He had to be seeing something wrong.

"What is it?" Hatomi questioned.

Hizashi shook his head as if that would clear his vision and took a longer look. There, in one of the rooms was Maiya, Hatomi's lover. She wore her typical black short shorts with blue knee high semi-sheer tights and her no sleeved blue shirt which fanned out at the back kind of like a cape. Her red-blond hair was still short in the back with the long bangs and she had her trench knives attached to the blue belt on her shorts.

"Switch to chakra vision and tell me what you see," Hizashi said.

"Hn," Hatomi muttered.

She said nothing more. Hizashi kept his eyes on Maiya as she walked out of the room and into the hallway.

"I see nothing Hizashi. What is it?" Hatomi asked.

He switched to check and there as plain as everything was Maiya's chakra paths. Hizashi frowned before shutting off his Byakugan and turning it back on. Still the same. Maiya, walking through the hallways like she knew the place and she had...wait.

"What side is Maiya's beauty mark on?" Hizashi questioned.

"Hn? The right, why?"

This Maiya had the beauty mark on the left. Good, he wasn't going completely insane then. Someone had messed up on a transformation jutsu. He had no idea why the person would use Maiya in a transformation.

"Hizashi?"

"Someone's in there using a transformation jutsu to look like Maiya," Hizashi told her.

He saw her stiffen and her eyes go wide under the mask. Her lips parted and she leaned forward as if it would help her see more. She squinted then huffed.

"I see nothing," Hatomi said.

"Yeah, I figured," Hizashi muttered.

The fake-Maiya kept walking through the hallways until coming to a lab. Hizashi looked to his sister who let out a breath. Her eyebrows had furrowed slightly as she considered.

"Guys?"

Shikadai's voice almost made Hizashi yelp and fall out of the tree he stood in. Right, they had an entire team of people waiting them out. Hizashi let out a breath as Hatomi bit her lower lip for a moment.

"Hizashi spotted someone in the base," Hatomi said.

Silence for a moment and Hizashi watched as the fake-Maiya went through the filing cabinets as if looking for something.

"Is this someone a threat?" Shikadai questioned.

"Not sure. They're using a transformation jutsu to look like Maiya," Hizashi said.

More silence on the line as the fake-Maiya began to read over one of the files. The fake-Maiya nodded before walking to a part of the lab where it started to gather ingredients.

"The fake is starting to make something," Hizashi said.

"Not good," Shikadai said.

"Hizashi and I will investigate further but stay out of sight. Metal, Boruto, and Tsunade-sama, approach the second base and wait at the edges of the trees. Besides the fake, there is no one around and nothing in your path," Hatomi said.

Hizashi let out a breath as everyone confirmed and the group began moving. Hatomi's back-up made sense. All three were powerhouses plus Tsunade-sama was a healer. Sarada had to stay back because of her eyes since she would be the only one who could sense or see someone coming before anyone else.

Hizashi followed Hatomi towards the base and together they hovered near the closest wall to where the fake-Maiya was cooking something up. Waiting as the fake made whatever it was it was making made him want to play with a senbon but finally Metal, Boruto, and Tsunade-sama appeared in the edges of his vision perimeter.

"We see you and are entering now," Hatomi said.

"Be careful," Tsunade-sama told them.

"Roger," Hizashi said.

They slipped in through a window and Hizashi led the way to where the fake-Maiya made whatever it was she was making. Hizashi wanted to undo the transformation to see who this person was and knew exactly how to do it. He stopped at the door, hidden by the shadows and the frame then licked his lips.

Hatomi gave him a nod and Hizashi let a single senbon fly. It struck exactly where it needed to: the back of the neck between the second and third c-vertebra. The transformation fell apart and the _creature_ came into view.

"Shit, shit, back track," Hizashi said.

Its head turned and the creepy-ass smile came into fruition. Hatomi didn't question him and headed towards the way they had come but with _one_ motion the thing leaped out of the room and began to give chase on its deer-like legs.

Hatomi could see it now, Hizashi knew because her eyes went wide and her jaw had dropped a bit. Hizashi tossed a bomb back which went off immediately, decimating the roof, walls, and floor ten yards behind them and two in front of it. They escaped through the window and kept moving.

"What's going on?" Shikadai asked.

"Metal, Boruto, Tsunade-sama: retreat," Hatomi said.

They didn't have to be told a second time. Hizashi saw them turn, worse yet he saw the thing leap out of the hole he had made in the ceiling. Not good.

The creature had tricked them, taking on a form it _knew_ he and Hatomi would want to investigate and separated their group. The beast landed fifty yards back but started gaining with incredible speed Hizashi knew he and Hatomi couldn't match.

"No choice," Hizashi said.

Hatomi nodded. They couldn't lose the thing. They had to do this now.

"Everyone, move in towards the second base. Target approaching," Hatomi said.

Metal almost ran into the trunk of a tree at her words but flipped in the air to start running back towards them. Boruto and Tsunade-sama were way more graceful in spinning and coming back their way. The creature was ten yards away now. He and Hatomi might get lucky. It might not be able to see them all too well in the dark.

Within seconds his thought was abolished as it went right for his neck with its charka absorbing sword. Hizashi spun and summoned out his katana in one motion, blocking the sword without effort. The entire plan was shot to Hell.

The bulk of their team would take two hours to re-group with them and by then it might all be over. Hizashi wouldn't let that happen. This thing had almost killed dad. It was going to try and take over the world because of some twisted theory it believed it deserved to be the ruler of the world. He wasn't going to let that happen.

* * *

Hatomi winced when Hizashi deflected the beast's sword in a smooth motion. The creature's other three arms lashed out but Hizashi summoned his Bo in his free hand while chakra raced down the blade of his sword and struck the creature's stomach full on. Hatomi spun on her tree branch and activated her Lion's Heads.

The plan had been effectively demolished.

There was no sneak attack, no digging up holes or a team to make a distraction, no set up with chakra wires, no way to blow the beast up and bury it for good. No, they would have to fight full out with Metal, Boruto, and Tsunade-sama as back-up while the others struggled to catch up. On top of this, Shikadai's technique would be useless for another five or more hours, the sole technique they planned to use to still the creature so Hizashi could plant his bombs. She had to think of a new plan and quickly.

She lashed out with one hand but the creature saw her coming. Its tail came towards her but Hatomi shifted enough to dodge it and skim it with a Lion's Head. It took some chakra but not enough. Hatomi landed on another branch and watched as Hizashi and the beast traded blows. Hizashi was doing well to keep it occupied and Hatomi took a breath.

Metal came flying from the trees and his kick landed where it intended: on the right side of the creature's head. The head snapped to the left with a crack but one hand snaked out and grabbed Metal around the ankle before tossing him towards a tree. Five Boruto's were there a moment later and the creature scowled as best as it could.

Five points on the creature's body showed the distinctive mark of Rasengan and the thing flew into a tree which cracked under the pressure. It did not stay down and worse it began to make hand signs. Three more of the creature appeared and Hatomi cursed under her breath as all four went to each one of them.

Hatomi began to fend her clone or original off, ducking and weaving under too many arms as Hizashi, Metal, and Boruto did the same. Boruto had an advantage of sorts with his clones and Hizashi with his Bo and sword but she was hard pressed to stay out of striking distance and hadn't landed a single hit.

A flash of chakra came from behind her and Hatomi managed to duck as Tsunade-sama slammed a fist into the top of the creature's skull. The clone puffed away but the crater Tsunade-sama left may help them. Hizashi spotted the advantage of the crater as well and nodded.

It would have to be timed perfectly but Hatomi had a feeling they could do it. She leaped towards her brother as Tsunade-sama went off to help Metal. The first stage of their plan was to determine which of the creatures was the original. It meant putting down all the clones.

She slammed a Lion's Head into the creature's back and got smacked aside by its tail for her efforts. Regardless, the beast fighting Hizashi did not puff away. Tsunade-sama had dispatched Metal's and both were off to help Boruto who had been reduced to one clone. Hatomi met Hizashi's eyes and he nodded as she jumped forward with her hands laced in chakra.

The creature turned to greet her, ignoring Hizashi for a moment which was all he needed to flick open a scroll and drop two dozen bombs into the crater. Hatomi leaped back which put distance between Hizashi and the creature, distance which worked to his advantage. She saw the clone get knocked over the head by Metal and puff out of existence. Hatomi smiled.

"Ocean!"

The wave slammed into the creature and shoved it into the crater Tsunade-sama had made. Hatomi knew Hizashi could see exactly where it was and saw him grin. One hand came up as he formed half a tiger seal.

"Boom,"

The earth shook and trees collapsed inwards toward the crater as water shot upwards along with body parts, organs, and other bits and pieces of the creature. The trembling of the trees around them took a few moments to settle and Hatomi found clinging to a trunk helped in waiting it out.

"Woah," Boruto said when everything settled.

"Yosh," Metal screamed with a fist-pump.

"Nice," Tsunade-sama said.

Hatomi was about to thank them all but the body parts puffed out existence. A clone. They had wasted their single chance to surprise the beast on a clone. Hatomi saw a flash of white, red and black and turned in time to see the beast cut Tsunade-sama in half at the waist.

Honey colored eyes went wide and red-painted lips parted as Tsunade-sama's upper half fell away from her lower half. Hatomi launched out of her tree the same time Hizashi did. Boruto slammed a Rasengan into the creature's head and Hatomi managed to catch Tsunade-sama's upper body while Hizashi caught her legs. They landed in sync and placed her back together gently.

"Ow," Tsunade-sama said.

"You can heal from this, correct?" Hatomi questioned.

"Yeah, but it's going to take a while," Tsunade-sama told her.

Hatomi nodded and glanced up to see Metal and five Boruto striking at the beast. They were doing well to hold it back and Hatomi knew they would not run out of stamina any time soon. Green Beasts were known for being able to keep going long after a normal person had fallen over and Boruto had more chakra than any normal person.

"What's the next plan?" Hizashi asked.

Hatomi saw Tsunade-sama's eyes widen marginally as she realized the use of the crater had been Hatomi's idea. Hatomi took a breath and considered. The area free of trees had become much wider thanks to the explosion. Even soon, it was mostly deep crater and ice puddles forming everywhere thanks to Hizashi's ocean. They could not use the same trick as the creature had seen it and Hizashi did not have another ocean scroll. She smirked.

"How much chakra absorbing wire do you have?" Hatomi questioned.

"A couple hundred yards, why?" Hizashi returned.

Hatomi flicked her eyes towards the haphazard trees and Hizashi followed her sight. One of his eyebrows came up but a smile came to his face. He inclined his head as two rolls of chakra absorbing wire popped into existence. She took one and let out a breath.

"Um?" Tsunade-sama tried.

"Stay here," Hatomi told her. "Shikadai: status."

For this to work they could not have too many bodies running around. She and Hizashi would need all the space in the new clearing they could get. It would work in their favor Boruto and Metal were keeping the creature contained to one area.

"Still too far out," Shikadai said.

"It is fine. We are holding it back. Keep me updated: every fifteen minutes," Hatomi said.

"Roger,"

Hatomi took a deep breath before licking her lips. She leaped into the air followed by Hizashi and moved the ball of chakra absorbing wire to under her cloak, allowing a bit of it to hang off. The beast saw them coming and as expected: flicked them both away. Hatomi altered her trajectory enough so the wire went exactly where _she_ wanted it.

They had learned much from Ranmaru in the past year. He could not see the same minute details a Byakugan user could pick up...like the glint of light against chakra absorbing wire. Over the course of thirty minutes, Hatomi and Hizashi stitched together a net behind the creature every time it knocked them away. Boruto and Metal were beginning to wear down and the rest of the team was still too far off but Hatomi did not mind.

She tacked the last bit of wire in place then saw Hizashi do the same. She also saw Tsunade-sama was mostly together again but stayed lying in the snow, watching with a furrowed brow as she tried to figure out what she and Hizashi had done. Hatomi nodded to Hizashi and he moved forward, summoning up his battle axe.

This time the creature turned to face him, knowing the damage the axe could do. Hatomi landed beside Boruto and Metal, barely catching both of them by the collar. The creature grinning, thinking Hatomi was making them switch out with Hizashi. She was but to a much different thought then what the creature had in mind.

"You're all weak," the creature said.

"Hatomi, we can still fight," Boruto told her.

"Wait," Hatomi said.

Hizashi was doing well in forcing the creature exactly where he wanted it. They would have it in a moment.

"But," Metal started.

"Wait," Hatomi repeated.

"Mountain Crusher,"

Hatomi smiled as Hizashi blasted the creature into the trigger of their net. Several snaps, bark leaving trunk as chakra wire released sounded through the area and the beast's three eyes went wide as it realized Hatomi and Hizashi had caught it in chakra absorbing wire. It fell into the middle of the crater, cracking through ice and glared up at them, effectively tied down over every inch of flesh.

"So that's why you guys weren't trying to stick near it," Boruto said as Hizashi joined them in the tree.

"Yep," Hizashi said with a grin.

"Now what do we do with it?" Metal questioned.

Hatomi let out a breath as the creature tried to struggle. It was not getting far. Chakra wire dug into the flesh of its face, making it look even more grotesque and Hatomi bit her lower lip. They could start the process of cutting it into pieces, putting on the metal plates to stop regeneration and burying it.

"Stage four of the original plan," Hatomi replied.

"Blowing it up and burying," Boruto said with a little frown.

"Except Hizashi will be separating parts with a sword while you secure the metal plates in place over both sides of a cut. Metal, you will be making the holes and I will be lining them," Hatomi said.

"And when the others get here we'll be able to move faster," Hizashi said.

"Hn, we will start with the head," Hatomi said.

They moved in. Hatomi watched as Hizashi cut off the beast's head then showed Boruto how to attach the metal plate which would go over the cut and secure in the flesh so nothing could regenerate. The beast's head went into Hizashi's bag and Hatomi left her brother and cousin to it so she could line the holes Metal would make.

The others joined them within the hour and soon everyone took up their proper positions. The holes were spaced over a mile apart in some cases and were ten feet deep. They were correct in thinking the flesh could not regenerate once the metal plate was put over the cut. After another hour of solid work the job had been completed. They converged in the clearing and Hatomi let out a long breath.

Hizashi picked up the bag with the head then peeked inside. He nodded then tied it off again before shoving it in another bag and putting this over one shoulder. Tsunade-sama stood up right again, looking as if she had not been cut in half and Hatomi felt tiredness seep into her bones. It did not matter. They had completed the mission.

She looked into the distance where the second base lay and met Hizashi eyes. He let out a huge breath but nodded. They would not leave the usable bases standing, not while they were so close and the beast had been defeated.

"We're not done, are we?" Chocho asked.

"We will destroy the final two bases," Hatomi replied.

"Troublesome," Shikadai said.

"But it makes sense," Inojin offered.

No other complaints came as they headed towards the second base. Hatomi took Boruto and Sarada with her to gather the information they could before allowing Hizashi to blow the base into nothing but ash. It was then she allowed them to set up camp and finally sat on a rock she had dusted off.

One more base stood between them and the ability to go home. They would be on it by the afternoon and camping in this exact spot by tomorrow evening. She had no doubt in her mind about it and watched as camp finished getting set up. She smiled as Hizashi brought out one of his scrolls then whipped out chicken breasts, rice, more vegetables, and spices. Chocho took to making chicken fried rice with a grin.

Hatomi said nothing when Tsunade-sama settled beside her after a moment. There was a bottle of sake in Tsunade-sama's hand, a small one, but she did not drink from it. Hatomi knew a little bit of sake would do Tsunade-sama no harm.

"I'm going to recommend you and your brother for jonin when we get back," Tsunade-sama said.

Hatomi nodded even though she wanted to beam and hug the former Hokage. Jonin at fourteen which meant she could be Naruto-sama's personal information gatherer as well as take on a genin team sooner than anyone else in her generation.

"ANBU will probably look into the two of you like they did your father after he made jonin,"

Hatomi glanced at Tsunade-sama from the corner of her eyes. She knew ANBU had wanted father to join their ranks for some time but not since he had became jonin twenty-one years ago. Hatomi was unsure of how to feel about this news.

"Why did father never accept ANBU?" Hatomi questioned.

Tsunade-sama smiled then shook her head. She took a sip from her sake and stared straight ahead as Chocho began serving the meal she had made. Everyone was settling around the fire except for her and Tsunade-sama but Hatomi wanted to finish this conversation first. She saw Hizashi hold back Boruto when their cousin was about to come over to them.

"ANBU back then was different. There was a much higher rate of death and being honest, I think he wanted to wait until Tenten was ready to go with him. Then they got married and you guys were born and he didn't want to risk the life he wanted for so long. ANBU wasn't his dream anymore, you guys were,"

Hatomi did not know whether to feel happy father loved them so much or upset she had been part of the reason father stopped furthering his career. Hatomi stared when Tsunade-sama put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"But I know he doesn't regret it. I doubt there's a lot in the past fifteen or more years your father regrets," Tsunade-sama said.

Hatomi smiled at the thought and went with Tsunade-sama to join the others. Hatomi sat in her circle of friends beside her twin and absorbed the warmth, not from the fire but from being with people who cared about her and would help her no matter what. They would finish off the last remaining followers of Orochimaru and the creature as the years passed but peace would return. This time there had not been a war to get it and Hatomi could not help being glad for it.

* * *

He ducked under the oncoming fist of another shinobi with red eyes and scowled. They had made it to the third base without problems then Hatomi had said they were surrounded. Hizashi confirmed it but with way fewer enemies than Hatomi saw. Now, here they were fighting off the few remaining followers of Orochimaru and the thing they had buried in various underground holes.

Hatomi fought without her Byakugan as the dojutsu stood no chance against the Akaryuu but she was fine. Hizashi had tossed her a pair of trench knives, not unlike Maiya's and Hatomi easily sliced through the opposition. The snow around her was dyed red as was her white cloak but she looked unperturbed. Hizashi tried not to linger long on her.

Metal kicked and punched his way through the dozens of enemy shinobi coming from everywhere at once while Chocho smashed people to the ground with immense hands. Inojin used ink summons while Shikadai stayed by the artist using his shadows. There were five Boruto in the area, all in different parts of the field and all taking on two enemies at a time. Sarada and Tsunade-sama left craters where they punched but Sarada blew flames through the air to take down the people trying to kill her.

The smell of blood and burned flesh was strong in the air and Hizashi wished he couldn't see the red-black flesh of some of Sarada's victims, the red flecks across her shirt and cloak or the pink marks around her lips from the flames she burst out. It was difficult to see her in such a state.

Hell, watching Metal punch in heads or kick in chests was hard. Metal shouldn't be killing like this. He was a happy, fun-loving youth spouting guy who finally got a date with the civilian girl he had been wooing for years. Sure this is what all the crazy training Metal did was for but it didn't mean Hizashi had to like it.

Mitsuki's way of taking down the enemy wasn't pretty either. Snakes were everywhere as Mitsuki extended limbs or neck to take down people too far while snakes injected poison which turned a body into nothing but a blob of purple and blue bruises once it finished running its course in under a minute.

At least Shikadai's kill method was cleaner but strangling someone to death with shadow hands was freaking creepy. It was better than making an ink tiger rip someone apart or literally flatten someone with the palm of one hand. Hizashi tried not to see Boruto slam a rasengan into someone's face but having three-hundred and sixty degree color vision allowed him to see the man's face get ripped to shreds.

Hizashi pierced another man with a poison senbon and spun into a partial Revolving Heaven to hit two more. His kills were quick, precise, and simply made the enemy drop without letting blood flow out of them like everyone else seemed to be doing, well, besides Shikadai. Hell, even Tsunade-sama was beating people to bloody pulps.

Kami he was happy this would be finished soon without a war and without the kind of bloodshed they had all learned about in the Academy. He wouldn't have to see anyone he cared about die or get hurt. There would be peace since they had taken down the mad-man responsible for making the creature who had wanted to take over the world.

Too bad this enemy didn't know when to give up. They kept coming in all shapes and sizes but the more enemies which came at them, the more Hizashi started to think these were the reject clones. Some came with missing limbs, others had one eye and a smooth place where the other eye should be, there were some with webbed hands, some with permanently hunched backs, and some with protruding chins or squat noses.

Even so the clones could fight and half of them had Akaryuu. None of them knew how to use it to its full potential though since even Ranmaru had never figured it out and he had been the one born with it. Hizashi landed on the branch of a tree to take a breather. No one followed him and all of the clones continued to try and fight.

More came from the base a hundred meters off, streams off them like they would never end. Hizashi knew his friends and family were tough but this was insane. He didn't have enough weapons to take out the clones coming towards him so he'd do the next best thing.

"Hatomi: permission to blow up the base to stop them?" Hizashi asked.

"Granted, Tsunade-sama, back him," Hatomi said.

Tsunade-sama slammed a fist into the ground which made two dozen clones go to their knees. She leaped up after delivering the fist and followed him towards the base with a grin on her red-painted lips. Hizashi kept pace with his powerhouse and healer rolled into one and they made it to the base within moments.

None of the bastards saw them coming and Hizashi took the opportunity to toss a few bombs towards the bulk of the army between the two trees they were running through. The effect was instant. The army was blown to smithereens while ones a few yards from where bombs had landed were knocked forward into trees where their spines snapped or heads were flattened. The ones going to the trees were knocked back into others.

Hizashi tossed more bombs as they approached the base and into the crowd of misshapen clones. Body parts began flying through the air as each of his bombs landed without mistake into the thickest parts of the crowd. They were at the front of the base within moments and Hizashi scowled.

The clones were coming after them. Really he didn't blame the clones one bit but there were two of them. Hizashi grabbed two palm sized scrolls in his hands before going to one knee and slamming them into the ground. Tsunade-sama wisely back-tracked as Hizashi took a breath.

"Twin Rising Dragon's Roar!"

He saw Tsunade-sama's eyebrows go up then he began spinning through the air as bombs came to his hands from his duel spiraling scrolls. Mom had hugged him hard for coming up with this modification to her trade-mark move.

Explosions rocked the earth as Hizashi tossed dozens of bombs through the air. They hit people, the base, the ground and anything between Hizashi and the base which got in his way. Soon the dust cloud was so thick no one without the Byakugan would be able to see what went where. Bodies parts, blood, pieces of building, and the earth itself flew through the air then rained down upon who hadn't been smacked aside yet. Within ten seconds he had demolished the front section of the base, blocked anyone from getting through the caved in section, and killed more clones then he wanted to think about.

He landed on snow turned black from blood, ash, and other stuff he didn't want to think about. Tsunade-sama was beside him a moment later and Hizashi took a moment to let his empty scrolls to the ground.

"The Hell was that?" Shikadai asked over the radio.

"Twin Rising Dragon's Roar," Sarada said.

Hizashi smiled. She had asked him once on a date why he didn't include bombs in the Twin Rising Dragons since he liked to blow up everything. Hell, she had come up with the name saying it would sound like a pair of dragons roaring what with all the explosions.

"Yep, it's as awesome as it sounds," Tsunade-sama said.

He led the way into the base with a smile on his face. Tsunade-sama followed a step behind as he found the stunned clones standing in the main hallway of the base. Hizashi began to toss more bombs as he ran along the outskirts of the base and they landed directly above the heads of the mystified clones.

The ceiling came down on them and as expected: they panicked. People began punching each other to get back towards the rooms located at the end of the long hallway but a well placed bomb made that escape route cave in. When the clones saw it they went for the walls, beating them down as much as they could before the ceiling crushed them.

"Watch out,"

Hizashi had been so concentrated on getting the perfect placement for his bombs he didn't see two clones had managed to make it out of a hole in the ceiling. Hizashi skidded along the snow then watched in awe as Tsunade-sama took the fist to the gut. Blood poured from her mouth but she grinned and lashed out with a punch of her own.

The clone bent in two then flew through the air to slam back into the building and disappeared thanks to going into a wall. The second clone skidded behind Tsunade-sama as Hizashi brought out his Bo and ran towards the scene. Why'd she toss him so damned far?

Hizashi gritted his teeth when the second clone grabbed Tsunade-sama by the hair then pulled her back before ramming a fist between her breasts. The fist went through her chest and out her back. Hizashi slammed his Bo into the forehead of the clone, sending it flying then tossed a few bombs into the hole the first clone had made.

He caught Tsunade-sama on her way down but fell with her, arm wrapping around her chest were blood flowed freely out of her body with no sign of stopping. He could _see_ her lungs through the hole as well as her frantically beating heart.

"You can heal this, right?" Hizashi asked.

She smiled at him, blood dripping out of the corners of her mouth and down her cheeks towards the arm he cradled her head in. One hand came up and Hizashi blinked when she put it on his bare forehead as he wore his hitai-ate around his left arm.

"No," Tsunade-sama said.

"What? I mean, I thought," he tried.

She chuckled at him before lightly running her fingers over his forehead. The other hand had come up to remove the ear piece and collar of the radio from around her throat to toss it in the snow somewhere.

"I could but you'd have to drag me back to the camp. Plus it'd drop my genjutsu and I'd like to leave a pretty corpse,"

Hizashi almost laughed but the tears clogging his throat stopped it. He could see the way her heart started to slow as blood turned the snow under them red. Hizashi said nothing as she kept her fingers on his forehead.

"Never thought I'd see the day the son of a Branch House Hyuuga had a bare forehead. The clan still has to go through a lot of change but you and your sister will make it happen,"

Hizashi didn't know about that. Neither of them were Clan Heads since Hanabi was in charge now. There were too many former Main House members who had to die before the clan could be fully transformed. Maybe in the generation after his the clan would be fully changed.

"Tell the others to keep fighting. You kids got this,"

Hizashi watched as her heart slowed then stopped beating. He kept his eyes on hers as she took a final breath and let it out slowly. The honey-colored eyes lost all their light and began to glaze over as her face relaxed. Her hand fell away from his forehead to land across her chest. Chakra went out along her entire body and her body became heavier as she was no longer there to support her weight.

Hizashi took a deep breath and let it out slowly. There were still clones banging against the walls to try and get out. His friends, girlfriend, and sister were beating back the clones who had made it through. Sure, there had been one death in this final skirmish for peace but Tsunade-sama's death would hit Konoha and the rest of the shinobi community hard.

Hizashi got to his feet, pulling her up with him then took a breath. It took some careful manoeuvring to get her in a piggy back position on his back and to make sure she was secure enough he could use his hands.

"Hizashi? What happened?"

Hatomi's voice was strong in his ear but he could hear the underlying tones of worry. She would have been able to see exactly what happened if she was fighting with her Byakugan. The clones prevented her from doing that though.

"I'll tell you when I come back," Hizashi said.

He went back to throwing bombs into what remained of the base. Once none of the clones were moving, Hizashi went from one end of the final base to another to make it nothing but ash and a crater in the snow. He sighed heavily when he was done and noticed hardly ten minutes had passed.

It was over.

Orochimaru's boss was split up in so many pieces it couldn't regenerate and they would be bringing the head in his bag back to Konoha. Orochimaru was stuck in a special cell he would never get out of. Most of the entire army the two had created had been destroyed as well as the last few remaining usable bases. Anyone left would be hunted down and taken out but they wouldn't be a huge issue.

Hizashi ran towards the others with Tsunade-sama on his back and met with everyone in the clearing. The clones were all unmoving and he didn't try to look at each individual clone for the injury. The state of the people he cared about was bad enough to look over.

Hatomi's arms from fingers to elbow were coated in blood. The front of her white cloak had been turned red because of it and there were spatters of it across her face. It wasn't her blood as there wasn't a scratch on her. Even so, she stood tall and waiting for his explanation.

Boruto, Mitsuki, and Inojin had tiny scratches in their clothing and on their flesh but nothing horrible. All three looked tired but ready to fight. Shikadai had no marring on his clothes and squatted in the snow with his hands hanging off his knees in front of him. Chocho had gone thinner than she normally was and her clothes hung off her. She looked happy for the weight loss but Hizashi thought it looked weird. Metal didn't look worse for wear either and had a smile on his face.

Sarada had some blood across her white cloak and a little frown on her face. Her hair was messy around her head as she adjusted her glasses in front of her onyx eyes. The gloves she wore on her hands were dusty and cracked in places from punching through enemies or the solid ground and her sword was held in the right hand with the blade dripping blood.

"Is Tsunade-sama unconscious?" Hatomi asked.

Hizashi shook his head before undoing the ties he had put in place to keep her on his back. He lowered her to the ground gently and heard the chorus of gasps as everyone took in her body. He saw Hatomi's eyes tear up but she blinked and the dampness was gone.

"She was protecting me," Hizashi said.

"Her life for the King," Shikadai muttered.

They all knew what it meant. Sarutobi Asuma had coined the phrase well before their parents started pairing off though Konoha had been doing it for years. A jonin's life so a chunin could live. Older shinobi would protect the younger shinobi because it was the younger shinobi the Village needed to keep going.

"She passed to be certain we could continue on. Let us make her proud," Hatomi said.

Hizashi smiled as the other nodded. Tears and crestfallen faces disappeared as new resolve went through his friends. Hatomi, like dad, always knew what to say. Hizashi gently picked up Tsunade-sama and the mess was cleaned. They took off for Konoha, for home, and towards a peaceful future.

* * *

I didn't start this battle chapter with Tsunade dying. It kind of happened and made me sad when I realized she'd be leaving. There's not much more left to this so reviews welcome.


	48. After

**After**

 **Author's notes:** Know how I said this would get to chapter 50? I lied. Sorry.

 **WARNING:** Mention of mature subject matter including boobs, lesbians, bondage sex, swearing, killing, gore, blood, and violence...there's a reason this is rated M folks.

I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it.

* * *

Tenten smiled as she ran her hand through Neji's hair. They lay on the couch, him on top of her and napping with his head positioned under her breasts. One arm hung towards the floor while his other had wrapped around her to hold her waist. She didn't mind doing absolutely nothing but running her hand through his hair.

The dark brown locks had thinned out some over the years and there were gray strands shooting through the main mass of Neji's hair at his temples. Fine lines had gone a little deeper around his eyes and his laugh lines were a bit more visible than they had been before forty. Even so, he looked damn good for forty-six.

She wasn't doing so bad either. Sure her breasts had started sagging and she had a permanent bit of fat around her middle. She had laugh lines, wrinkles around her eyes and some gray in her hair but she wore the marks of age proudly. She could still hit dead center of any target with speed most people didn't expect of her. She was more toned than any civilian woman of her age and would stay that way for a while yet.

For once in her life she was happy there were no missions to be had. She had gathered all seven swords of the Mist and they had been hidden in a scroll no one would find. Hell, she had retired along with Neji six years ago without feeling too horrible since there were few missions for them.

Orochimaru was still under lock and key. The creature he had made was still a head locked in a small cage deep under the Hokage tower. The army the two had created had no survivors and no major threat had come to the Village in years.

Naruto was still Hokage and would remain Hokage until his later years with no issues. Kakashi and Guy-sensei were in the same home as both were now in their seventies. Guy-sensei's memory had started acting up on him, making him think he was still the sensei of Lee, Tenten, and Neji but it was sporadic. It meant occasionally he would try to get out of his wheelchair but Kakashi was always there to bring him back.

Tenten didn't want to think about what would happen if Kakashi went peacefully in his sleep before Guy-sensei.

She let out a little breath and looked at the mantle above the television. A smile came to her face as she watched all four of her children age. Hatomi and Maiya's wedding had been five years ago and Neji's princess looked like a princess in a beautiful white kimono, long dark hair done in a complicated style and glittering with little gems held in place with bobby pins.

The picture next to this one was of Hizashi and Sarada at their wedding. At six feet and five inches, Hizashi towered over his bride but the smile on his face gave the sun good competition that day. Like her father, Hizashi had become broad in the shoulders and chest with thick limbs and an overall powerful frame. Golden eyes still shone brightly and he kept his hair to his waist in a shining mass like his father's.

The next image was of Shun at his wedding last year. His bride Rin, with her auburn hair in a lovely top-knot and her blue eyes full of love, had met him when Shun turned 16, at the shop. Turned out she was obsessed with all manner of weapons, the daughter of a sword-smith and a leather worker. She had moved from Suna to Konoha after her parents died to catch a glimpse of Konoha's Weapons Mistress, Tenten.

Tenten grinned at the memory of Rin walking into the shop on that bright sunny morning all those years ago to see the petite red-head nearly faint at the sight of Tenten and all the weapons. Seeing Shun perk up in interest had been fun too.

He and Shi had stopped growing at six feet and an inch but kept to their more hawk-like frame like their father. Despite their slightly lighter hair which wouldn't stay tamed, they were full Hyuuga in looks. Tenten didn't mind one bit.

The next image was of Shi with a wide smile on his face as he held his man close. Sado Yuji stood a bit shorter than Shi but had black hair and deep brown eyes against tanned flesh. Tenten had no qualms about not getting grandchild from Hatomi and Shi. Hizashi and Shun were making up for it. Hell, there were all ready three baby pictures of her grandkids after Shi's wedding photo.

Tenten was pulled from her thoughts when the front door opened. The urge to strike out with a kunai was crushed when Hizashi came into the house carrying his four year old son, Ryuu in one arm while the other arm wrapped around Sarada's bulging belly. She carried twins this time around as well as her little girl Kaida's bassinet.

"Hey mom," Hizashi said.

Tenten grinned when Neji lifted his head from her chest. White eyes lit with joy as Hizashi put Ryuu onto the ground and the little boy beamed before running towards the couch with his arms up.

"Ojiisan," Ryuu called out.

Tenten watched Neji shift and sweep Ryuu into his arms in one smooth motion. Ryuu laughed happily as Neji snuggled with him. Ryuu's brilliant gold pupil-less eyes caught the sunlight perfectly against his pale skin and smooth black hair. Like all Hyuuga, Ryuu hadn't opened his eyes for a week.

"Hey dad," Hizashi said with a laugh.

"Hn," Neji returned.

His happy sound and Tenten kissed his cheek. Sarada eased into the flat area of the couch and Tenten instantly shifted to stare down at eighteen month old Kaida. The little girl stared up at her with golden pupil-less eyes from under a Hyuuga-perfect patch of dark brown hair.

Neji had been completely against the relationship even after Hizashi had punched him but seeing how Sarada _knew_ Hizashi like Tenten knew Neji had brought Neji around. The solidification came when both grandchildren came out having Byakugan eyes, not Sharingan potentials.

"Urg, I don't know how you carried twins twice. I feel like a balloon," Sarada said.

She hadn't changed much over the years except gain a sort of maturity to her look. Her hair had been cut to hang a little beyond her shoulders but had long layers in it to frame her face well. Red-framed glasses were in front of onyx eyes and besides her eight month pregnancy "bump" she was petite.

"Eh, it wasn't that bad," Tenten said.

Sarada smiled as Tenten pulled Kaida out of the bassinet and inhaled the sweet smell of baby powder. She held her granddaughter close and couldn't help but smile. Tenten laughed when Hizashi sat in front of his wife and leaned his head on her legs. She ran a hand over his hair and Hizashi grinned.

Ryuu was telling Neji all about his first day at school, civilian school for now but once he turned six he would go into the Shinobi Academy. Ryuu had activated Byakugan two years ago and was impatiently waiting to learn all about being a shinobi. Tenten was content to know Ryuu wouldn't go on any life-threatening missions.

Like his father, Ryuu might become an information gatherer. Hizashi and Hatomi still disappeared for a week, sometimes more, at a time to gather sensitive information and return it back to Konoha. They both worked as Naruto's top researchers and attendants. Tenten tried not to think of the few times Hatomi disappeared alone for days at a time. It was what ANBU did and ANBU needed their best Hawk sometimes.

"So, do you guys have names picked out?" Tenten questioned.

She laughed when Hizashi groaned and Sarada rolled her eyes. The duo synced with most everything except when it came to naming their children. At first both had wanted to give Ryuu a name that started with an 'h' (Sarada's idea) but Hizashi kept giving her a relative he hated to ever name she suggested.

Hizashi suggested the name Itachi but Sarada said something about it being weird with the dead uncle thing. Neji had almost killed Hizashi and even Sasuke had balked. They settled on Ryuu because they both liked how it reminded them of Tenten's signature move.

Kaida had been "little girl" or "pumpkin" (Hizashi again) for two months after her birth because they couldn't settle on a name. Finally Tenten had smacked them upside the head and named the poor girl after Tenten's mother.

"It's _worse_ cuz there's _two_ of them _and_ they're a boy and a girl," Hizashi said.

"Hey, your dad and me had to do it twice," Tenten said.

"I know and how?" Hizashi said.

Tenten shrugged. Neji had a smirk on his face, faint but there.

"Well _your_ name was obvious," Tenten said.

Sarada giggled at Hizashi's eye roll.

"And the name Hatomi hasn't been used in the Hyuuga clan except for your sister," Tenten said.

"That's cuz you spelled it wrong. It's supposed to have an 'i' where the 'a' is," Hizashi mentioned.

Tenten swatted him. She had wanted their names to sound almost completely different which was why Hatomi got her name spelled funny. Hatomi didn't care even though she had been annoyed when she first learned about the miss-spell.

"Can't we call them muffin and honey for a while?" Hizashi asked.

Tenten laughed when Sarada swatted him on the shoulder. He grinned. Like her, Hizashi came up with nicknames for everyone and changed them at will.

"Honeybunches?" Hizashi tried.

Sarada sighed but a little smile played at her lips.

"Sweetie-cake?"

Sarada tried to bend forward to kiss him to shut him up but the kids were in the way. Hizashi remedied this by shifting upwards and she pecked him on the lips. Tenten grinned at her son while Neji snorted. He had a smile on his face.

A knock came to the door and Neji's smile widened. Hatomi glided regally into the room, long hair fanning around her body to stop at her knees and golden eyes bright. Maiya's sunny grin showed a bit of teeth and allowed a dimple to come out on her cheek.

"Oba," Ryuu yelled.

Tenten patted Neji's shoulder when Ryuu leaped off Neji and hugged Hatomi's bare legs. Hatomi's lips turned up into a smile as she bent and lifted Ryuu to hug him against her pale pink summer dress.

"Hey kiddo," Maiya said.

"Hi Oba-m," Ryuu said.

Hatomi sat beside her father on the couch which left Maiya to take the corner. Maiya kept her hair short in the back with longer bangs which hung down the sides of her face. She normally parted the bangs to one side but today had held them back with a bright blue headband to go with her blue tube top and white shorts.

"We were talking names," Tenten said.

This got groans from Hizashi and Sarada but Maiya laughed while Hatomi hummed in amusement.

"Seriously," Hizashi muttered.

The door opened again and Tenten smiled as Shun came into the house with Rin who kept a hand on her protruding belly. Shun had their son, Sho, two in his arms with one arm wrapped around Rin's belly.

"Hey bro," Hizashi said.

Greetings went around then Ryuu jumped out of Hatomi's arms to grab Sho's hand to lead him to the old toy box so the two could play. Sho nodded, all seriousness on his little face, white eyes glittering in joy. He too had manifested Byakugan.

"So we have names," Rin announced.

Sarada and Hizashi groaned. Tenten laughed along with Maiya while Neji and Hatomi smirked. Shun smiled.

"Before Hizzy I'm guessing even though Sarada's two months further along," Shun said.

"Yep," Maiya confirmed.

"Hn," Neji said.

Shun high-fived his wife and Tenten chuckled. She shifted to sit a little more forward when Shun helped Rin settle on the floor in front of the couch. Rin, like Shun, enjoyed taking up the floor as it left more room to do what was needed for weapons. If the two never had guests they wouldn't have furniture in their homes.

"Arashi and Nariko," Rin said.

Storm and thunder which made Tenten grin. The twin boys would have powerful names to go with Sho's "to fly" name. Hizashi stared at Shun for a moment with wide eyes then huffed.

"How'd you guys come up with such cool names?" Hizashi asked.

"We're cooler than you," Shun answered.

Tenten laughed as Hizashi ruffled Shun's tied back hair. Shun protested but without conviction then grinned when Hizashi was done with him. The door opened a final time to reveal Shi and Yuji. The house filled with conversation, laughter, and simple bliss. Tenten smiled, glad to have a full house again and watched her kids and grandkids carry on.

She wouldn't trade this up for anything.

* * *

Tenten sighed as she waved to Hatomi and Maiya as they headed out the front gate. Shi and Yuji had left shortly before while Shun, Rin, Hizashi, and Sarada along with all the grandkids had gone home a few hours ago. Tenten knew all about how having young kids cut social time down but knew Hizashi and Shun didn't mind.

Tenten shut the door and turned to face her now (again) empty living room. Neji wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Invitations of sleeping over had been turned down even though they had lots of room. Really, she and Neji should downsize as no one needed four guest rooms.

But trying to convert the four rooms which her four kids had grown up in into anything besides bedrooms was too tough. She knew technically they could convert one into an office for her for shop matters so she didn't leave random weapons around the house. Another could be turned into a sort of library as they had run out of rooms on their bookshelves long ago but the piles of books along the wall of their room made her smile.

Changing the rooms would make sense but it would also mean erasing part of the room's history and really, she liked being reminded of when her house was full. Besides, Ryuu and Sho would be sleeping over soon and the boys could have their picks of rooms. And hey, when the next set of grandkids were born there would be plenty of room to have them all over.

"Four more," Neji said.

"Four more," Tenten agreed.

She couldn't help smiling at the thought. Four more kids to carry on her and Neji's combination of weapons and Byakugan. Ryuu was all ready interested in Hizashi's scrolls as Sho carried around a plastic kunai. Kaida seemed fascinated when Hatomi and Neji sparred. Arashi and Nariko would be into weapons and have Byakugan while Sarada and Hizashi's kids, well, so long as they didn't have onyx eyes, Neji would be happy.

Seven grandkids meant lots of sleep overs and no point in downsizing. Hell, Hatomi and Maiya were thinking of adopting as were Shi and Yuji. Her family was expanding and Tenten couldn't be happier if someone paid her. Best yet, all seven grandkids wouldn't have to worry about fighting against Orochimaru or anyone else who wanted to enslave the shinobi world.

The lamps were turned off, doors locked, and they strode into their room. Tenten let out a breath at the silence of the house and the lack of chakra. She never realized how much she missed having her kids in the house until they visited then left. They would be back though, the day after tomorrow or the day after that.

"Mistress?"

Tenten grinned. There was one benefit to having no one else in the house. Tenten inclined her head then watched as Neji stripped. The shirt came off first and was tossed towards the laundry hamper. He missed but Tenten didn't care.

Despite his age Neji's chest was still toned and home to solid pectorals, well sculpted abdominals, and a little happy trail from under his navel flowing down to beneath the waistband of his pants. His arms were well cut and she watched his hands as he pushed down his pants to reveal tight black boxer shorts. The pants missed the laundry basket but she was more interested in studying the bulge in his pants, his thighs, and his defined calves.

Neji easily slipped out of the boxers to reveal his dripping length and she smiled. He strode over to her, tossing his bandana in the general direction of their dresser and she kept her eyes on his. His deft hands undid the clasps of her shirt from neck to across her chest and he tossed it aside.

He flicked the clasps on her bra and off it came. Tenten kept grinning when he knelt in front of her before removing her pants then her panties. She placed a hand on his head when he kissed her mound before flicking his tongue between her thighs. Tenten ran a hand through his hair and he looked up at her.

"What would you like?" Tenten asked.

Neji's plump lips turned upwards into a smile and his eyes lit with passion. She kept one hand on the back of his head as his hands wandered from her ankles up to her butt then back down in an insanity driving light touch.

"The vibrating butt plug, my collar, the d-ring corset, and the skirt. You can add whatever you wish," Neji said.

She nodded then pointed to the bed. He went without question then knelt in the middle of the bed, thighs off his calves and arms at his sides. Tenten summoned up the items he wanted then brought forth a few more. He watched her hands as she put him into the corset and skirt first. The collar came next and she kept the chain at his front.

He shivered when she snapped the leather glove into place but bent forward without her saying a word. His hands were at his butt a moment later, spreading his cheeks for her and she patted the right cheek in thanks. He hummed at her as a flush came to his cheeks.

Tenten lubed him up before inserting the bright pink, seven inch long vibrating cock up his ass. Neji sighed happily once it was in and she pulled back on one of the various rings to get him to sit up. He moaned low in pleasure. White eyes followed her hands as she clamped his nipples. He purred into her brushing then braiding back his hair.

Neji raised an eyebrow when the dick gag was placed over his face. He understood when she pushed him onto his back. She made sure his head and neck were comfortable before straddling his face, pushing the dick inside her and facing his cock so her ass was in his sights. He groaned when she shifted forward so she could suck his cock.

"Ready?"

Strong hands gripped her thighs and Tenten smiled when he shifted his legs so his knees were up. It enabled her to grab the vibrating dildo up his ass. She turned it on and took his cock into her mouth as he thrust into her with a growl of pleasure.

Tenten shifted the vibrating dildo in and out as she thrust against him. His hands weren't idle and one moved to slip between their bodies to play with her clit. The other massaged one of her breasts and Tenten hummed in thanks. His cock twitched in her mouth and she used one hand to follow her lips while the other moved the cock in and out of him.

They didn't last as long as they used to but Tenten didn't mind. She came first, shoving hard against his face and he shivered under her while his thick seed burst into her mouth. It took her a few long minutes to get her breath back and she realized it had taken as long as the actual sex to calm down. Tenten decided not to mention it before shifting so she sat beside Neji's hips.

He raised an eyebrow and she nodded. His hands removed the dick gag and he licked his lips before sitting up next to her. The vibrating dildo was turned off and she put it to a side to clean up later. He tilted his head at her, white eyes bright in their moonlit room and she kissed both his cheeks.

"Good?" Tenten questioned.

"Hn,"

Another happy sound and Tenten leaned into him. His arms came around her, pulling her back into his lap and she grinned. She tugged on his nipple clamps and he let out a breath across her ear. She shifted so his cock was inside her and he purred against her. Neji started moving his hips and she joined him.

The one good part about being over forty and having sex was they didn't have to worry about condoms. She had stopped having a monthly cycle four years ago which meant no more babies for them. Tenten didn't mind. The feel of his naked cock inside her felt amazing.

Plus all the money she had spent on tampons and condoms could be used for new toys, books, or weapons. She hadn't realized how much they spent on tampons and condoms until they stopped needing to buy them. Hell, it also meant more room in their drawers.

Tenten stopped thinking about condoms, tampons, and money when Neji tossed her onto her back in bed. She grinned when he began moving wildly and met him thrust for thrust. She wrapped her legs around his leather covered waist then smacked his ass which made him let out a long groan.

The bad part about being older and having sex was Neji sometimes didn't last as long as she could. There were times when during she became turned off so suddenly it left them both wondering. Then there were times Neji accidently came well before her which always made him flush and get shy. But it took longer for him to get hard which meant more touching and fondling.

She shifted until she could kiss his lips and he returned the kiss. His hands wandered along her sides, brushing over the sensitive areas he knew well and she shivered against him. Neji made a sort of whining sound and Tenten knew he was having trouble stopping his body from releasing. She pushed into him, signaling he could cum but he didn't. Tenten mentally rolled her eyes. He liked to make sure she got off before he did.

She gasped when chakra flowed through her system, _right_ at her clit like a strong vibration which instantly made her yell out and tremble as it hit every single pleasure point from her mid-thighs to her belly button. She felt Neji's cum coat her inner walls seconds later and held on tight.

Okay, so him knowing he was going to cum early had been a good thing. He had learned how to get her over the edge before he climaxed when he didn't want to. It made their bedroom activities a bit briefer, sure, but they were as satisfying.

Ten years ago they would've gone a third time but Neji went to her right side, panting and shivering against her. Tenten didn't mind one bit. She felt the heaviness of sleep over her eyelids and snuggled into her man. Neji let out a little breath and she pulled off his nipple clamps before unbraiding his hair.

Tenten grinned when he was asleep before she got his hair completely unbraided. She kissed his bare forehead, ignoring the green lines of the old Caged Bird Seal and wrapped the blankets over them. Neji sleeping in the corset and skirt wouldn't do anything horrible for either of them. Besides, it would be a fun morning if he was still in a sexy outfit.

Tenten closed her eyes and grinned as Neji shifted until his head was on her chest. The changes in both their lives had been amazing but knowing he would always like sleeping on her chest made her happy. She liked it when things like Neji's adoration of her didn't change.

* * *

 **End**

 **Final notes:** Short chapter is short, sorry. But! We came full cycle. We started with kinky sex and ended with it. Mwuahaha.

Is this the complete end of _Bonds_? Nope. There _is_ the companion piece which is basically pure kinky sex and a few not-so-kinky memories still out there. _Bonds: Memories_ will not die...yet. *winks*

I want to thank everyone who stuck with me through my unplanned hiatus(es?) to see the ending of this story. I always said I'd never be someone to abandon a story on here because I've been the person on the other side: reading an incomplete piece and wondering what would happen. I like to keep my promises. It's my ninja way. *grins*

ALSO: I want to thank captindonavin especially who made some cool fan-art for this story (remove spaces):

www. deviantart art/ The- Hyuga- family- D- 654889930 - The whole family

captdonavin .deviantart art/ Maiya- and- Hatomi- 659224901 - Hatomi and Maiya

Reviews welcome.


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